Retiring President Biden said Wednesday that US citizens will be among those released by Hamas as part of a Gaza Strip cease-fire deal — while refusing to give any credit to President-elect Donald Trump for escalating pressure on the terrorist group.

Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks for more than a year aimed at ending the war in Gaza and returning the hostages to Israel.

The United States says it sees the potential for a Gaza ceasefire to be reached as early as this week as the Israeli military continues to hammer the enclave to deadly effect. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Bloomberg News on Monday that while a deal may be possible within days,

US President Joe Biden said Monday that a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel was "on the brink" of being finalised, even as heavy fighting rocked the Palestinian territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks after negotiators reached a phased deal for a ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, during remarks at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.

U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump both claimed credit on Wednesday for a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal that was months in the making but was helped across the line by a Trump envoy.

The US president says "many months of intensive diplomacy" led to the agreement as he outlined the next steps.