Months of tedious talks over a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza – negotiations that required officials from an outgoing and incoming presidential administration to put aside their fundamental differences – culminated in an intense late-night push for an agreement that finally came to fruition on Wednesday.

Trump, who will take office on Monday, has long vowed to bring peace to the war-torn region. He escalated his pressure for a ceasefire in the weeks before the inauguration, threatening “hell to pay” if the hostages remained in captivity. His team was involved in the negotiations for a deal.