U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump could potentially advance a hostage deal before January 20, according to David Makovsky, a Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute.
WASHINGTON’S TAKE
(ILTV)
He explained that the Lebanon ceasefire, which “decouples” Hamas and Hezbollah, could be a key factor in moving a deal forward. Additionally, Iran is currently distracted, and with the U.S. presidential election decided, Iran understands what to expect from Donald Trump.
“Everyone is hoping for the case of like the American hostages, which were released 20 minutes into the new administration of Ronald Reagan. I'm not saying that history here is going to repeat itself, because Hamas is different than a state,” Makovsky said. “But there are some big things that have come together.”