An Israeli American hostage’s father said Sunday that he has “immense gratitude” for President-elect Trump’s team in the wake of a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war going into effect.
“You’re going to be attending the inauguration tomorrow. What — what’s your message to the incoming Trump team about the importance of getting this thing followed through on?” ABC News’s Jonathan Karl asked Jonathan Dekel-Chen on “This Week.”
“Well, first, it’s immense gratitude,” Dekel-Chen, hostage Sagui Dekel-Chen’s father, responded.
Jonathan Dekel-Chen also said that President Biden’s “team absolutely did extraordinary work in getting the superstructure of this deal together.”
“However, it took a tweet and subsequent statements from President-elect Trump to get this home. And what we ask of President Trump and his team is to keep their finger on this because it is the Middle East,” he added. “It’s a volatile place.”
On Sunday, fighting in Gaza came to a stop as a new ceasefire deal went into effect. The halting of the fighting in the territory is part of the first phase of the truce, which includes releasing of 33 hostages by Hamas that the group has held for over a year.
“Sagui, we are told, is on the list of the 33,” Karl said.
“Yes. He is on the list of the 33, yes,” Dekel-Chen responded.
White House principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer also said on Sunday that Trump’s team provided “significant support” in the recent ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
“We got significant support from the Trump team. We [have] been, you know, very transparent about that. We’ve kept them fully up to speed,” Finer told Karl on “This Week.”
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
