Biden balks when asked if Trump deserves credit for Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal: 'Is that a joke?'

President Biden balked astatine a question posed by Fox News elder White House analogous Jacqui Heinrich connected Wednesday astir whether President-elect Trump deserves recognition for the caller Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal.

The woody comes during Biden's last days successful office, little than a week earlier Trump's 2nd word starts connected Jan. 20. A caller gathering betwixt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump's incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, was reportedly an integral portion of the deal, sources told Fox News Digital.

"Who successful the past books gets recognition for this, Mr. President, you oregon Trump?" Heinrich asked Biden astatine Wednesday afternoon's White House quality conference.

"Is that a joke?" the president responded.

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When Heinrich denied that her question was successful jest, Biden responded, "Oh. Thank you," and walked away.

Minutes earlier, Biden explained that the cease-fire would dwell of 2 phases. The archetypal phase, which volition past astir six weeks, "includes a afloat and implicit cease-fire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from each the populated areas of Gaza, and the merchandise of a fig of hostages held by Hamas, including women and aged and the wounded." 

"And I'm arrogant to accidental Americans volition beryllium portion of that hostage merchandise and signifier 1 arsenic well," the president said. "And the vice president and I cannot hold to invited them home."

Israel has besides released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Biden said, and Palestinians "can besides instrumentality to their neighborhoods successful each areas of Gaza, and a surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza volition begin." The 2nd signifier of the cease-fire volition statesman aft Israel negotiates "the indispensable arrangements," which Biden said would people "a imperishable extremity of the war."

"There are a fig of details to negociate the determination from signifier 1 to signifier two," helium continued. "But the program says if negotiations instrumentality longer than six weeks, the cease-fire volition proceed arsenic agelong arsenic the negotiations continue."

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Weeks ago, Trump warned that determination would beryllium "hell to pay" if determination were nary important developments with a hostage woody by the clip helium took office.

"Everybody is talking astir the hostages who are being held truthful violently, inhumanely, and against the volition of the full World, successful the Middle East – But it’s each talk, and nary action!" Trump wrote successful a Truth Social post. 

"Please fto this TRUTH service to correspond that if the hostages are not released anterior to January 20, 2025, the day that I proudly presume Office arsenic President of the United States, determination volition beryllium ALL HELL TO PAY successful the Middle East, and for those successful complaint who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity," Trump added. 

Shortly aft Biden announced the deal, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller acknowledged the relation that Trump's squad played successful the negotiations and thanked them.

"I don't cognize if it's unprecedented to person envoys from an outgoing and an incoming medication sitting astatine the aforesaid array negotiating a cease-fire statement of this kind," Miller said Wednesday. "But if it's not unprecedented, it's surely unusual."

"And, we, of course, convey the Trump squad for moving with this connected this cease-fire agreement. We deliberation it's important that they were astatine the table."

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace, Greg Norman, Trey Yingst, Brooke Curto, Efrat Lachter and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.