The Biden team will assist Trump with the hostage release agreement in Gaza, according to the White House.

The Biden administration is closely collaborating with Donald Trump's new administration to secure a hostage release agreement in the Gaza Strip. This will assist the new president and his team in expediting the achievement of the agreement.

This was stated by John Kirby, the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, as reported by RBK-Ukraine citing The Times of Israel.

"The American people have every right to expect that we will ensure the new team is fully informed, and if we do not secure this agreement before we depart, then when they walk through the door at noon on January 20, they can hit the ground running and try to finalize it for themselves," Kirby said during a press briefing.

At the same time, he noted that the current administration is at the negotiation table, and the White House representative for Middle Eastern affairs, Brett McGurk, is currently representing the U.S. in Doha (Qatar).

Negotiations Between Israel and HAMAS

On October 7, 2023, militants from the Palestinian Islamic movement HAMAS invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip and took 251 individuals hostage. Israelis have confirmed that approximately half of the hostages are still alive as of now.

Since May 2024, Israel and HAMAS have been engaged in negotiations for a ceasefire and mutual hostage release. Qatar and Egypt are mediating the talks. However, the process has been challenging and has yet to yield success.

At the end of December, the parties accused each other of delaying the ceasefire.

On January 3, negotiations resumed in Doha (Qatar).

On January 6, HAMAS announced a list of hostages for exchange, but no proposals had been received in Israel.