'Guns in Gaza have gone silent': Biden hails ceasefire as Hamas releases 3 Israeli hostages after 471 days

Outgoing US President Joe Biden hails Gaza ceasefire as a transformative milestone, passing the task of securing lasting peace to Donald Trump’s incoming administration.

Guns in Gaza have gone silent Biden hails ceasefire as Hamas releases 3 Israeli hostages after 470 days snt

On the eve of his departure from office, US President Joe Biden celebrated the implementation of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, declaring the region had been "fundamentally transformed" after months of intense conflict and diplomacy.

Speaking from South Carolina during a visit to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Biden reflected on the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, which took effect just hours earlier, and defended his administration’s steadfast support for Israel.

"After so much pain, death, and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent," Biden said. He credited the truce to his administration’s policies and unwavering commitment to Israel, despite domestic criticism and fears of escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Biden acknowledged those concerns, stating, "I concluded abandoning the course I was on would not have led us to the ceasefire we're seeing today. Instead, it would have risked the wider war in the region that so many feared."

Biden also highlighted the release of three Israeli hostages who had been held in Gaza for 471 days. The women were transferred to the custody of the Red Cross early Sunday as part of the deal, which also allowed hundreds of aid trucks to enter the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Biden highlighted the broader geopolitical shifts resulting from the conflict, emphasizing significant setbacks for Hamas and its allies. "Hamas's top leaders have been killed, and its sponsors in the Middle East have been badly weakened by Israel, backed by the United States," he said.

He detailed the dismantling of key alliances that bolstered Hamas, noting that Hezbollah, its Lebanese ally, had been "significantly weakened" and its leadership "destroyed" on the battlefield. This, he said, allowed Lebanon to establish a new government supportive of sovereignty and stability.

Further, Biden pointed to the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which he said removed Iran’s direct access to Lebanon, leaving Tehran in its "weakest position in decades."

The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, consumed much of Biden’s presidency. Critics argued that his unyielding support for Israel came at a high humanitarian cost, with soaring casualties in Gaza drawing backlash at home during the 2024 election.

Biden sidestepped those criticisms on Sunday, focusing instead on the success of the ceasefire and the diplomatic progress achieved. He noted that the truce’s terms closely mirrored those his administration proposed in May, signaling that persistence had paid off.

President-elect Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday, will inherit the complex task of maintaining and building on the ceasefire. Biden acknowledged Trump’s role in the final negotiations, stating, "I was pleased to have our team speak as one voice in the final days. It was both necessary and effective and unprecedented."

"Now it falls on the next administration to help implement this deal," Biden said, expressing hope for continued progress under Trump’s leadership.

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