‘I’m here to save lives’: Inside the unlikely Biden-Trump partnership to secure a Gaza ceasefire

Key Points:

• Brett McGurk’s upcoming book, Brink, provides a detailed insider account of the Gaza hostage negotiations and the broader Middle East crisis following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
• The book reveals unprecedented cooperation between the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to secure a Gaza hostage-and-ceasefire deal before the transfer of power, despite deep political polarization.
• Key developments included Israel’s military victories against Hezbollah and Hamas leadership, Iran’s failed missile attacks, and targeted Israeli strikes on Iranian air defenses, shifting the regional balance and enabling renewed hostage talks.
• McGurk describes a November 2024 meeting at the US Capitol where Biden’s and Trump’s Middle East teams, including negotiators Jake Sullivan, Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff, coordinated efforts to finalize the hostage deal and address Iran’s nuclear threat.
• The negotiations hinged on Hamas agreeing to release a specified list of hostages, with Witkoff expressing a strong commitment to saving lives over politics, setting the stage for potential progress on Gaza and broader Middle East peace initiatives.