Trump and Biden discuss hostage deal during first meeting before transition of power

US President Joe Biden discussed efforts for a hostage deal with his successor, Donald Trump, when the two men met in the White House on Wednesday to discuss the transition of power.

“This is a topic that President [elect] Trump and President Biden discussed today,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, stressing that the Biden administration would work with the incoming Trump team to help secure a deal for the release of the remaining 101 hostages.

“We’re prepared to work with the incoming team in common cause on a bipartisan basis to do everything in our collective American power to secure the release of the hostages, both living and deceased,” Sullivan said.

“We’ve sent a signal to the income team that we’re prepared to work with them on this issue, as with every other issue, because President Biden’s cardinal direction to us is to ensure a smooth and orderly transition,” Sullivan added.

He spoke after meeting one day earlier with the relatives of the seven hostages who held US citizenship. Those same families are expected to meet President Biden on Wednesday.

Concern over securing a deal

Concern is high that the transition of power in Washington will make it impossible to secure a deal over the next three months.

Sullivan pledged that work would continue intensely on a hostage deal until Biden’s last day in office.

“We will continue to work every remaining day that President Biden has in office, that we have in these jobs, to try to bring those hostages home to their loved ones,” he said.

He spoke as Hamas has stonewalled efforts for a deal, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying earlier in the day that Hamas was not interested in a deal.

Sullivan rejected reports that Israel was less responsive to the Biden administration in light of Trump’s pending entry into office.

“We’re still actively working” with Israel, “in support of our common efforts to push back against our common adversaries, to try to deal with the situation in Gaza, in Lebanon, and directly with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He noted that he had met Tuesday with Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer about “every element of the current situation in the Middle East, and it was a constructive discussion.”

“We believe that we can continue to work across the board on all of the relevant issues, whether it’s humanitarian assistance or it’s ensuring the defense of Israel against Iranian attacks, or it’s working on ceasefire efforts and a hostage deal in Gaza, or it’s ultimately bringing a diplomatic resolution to Lebanon, which we’re actively working on.”