It took more than 15 months to get a ceasefire deal in Gaza that might last. But it took no time at all for a political battle to erupt in Washington over who deserves the credit for it.

“The EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November,” President-elect Trump insisted on social media shortly after noon Wednesday. “We have achieved so much without even being in the White House.”

President Biden, first in a written statement and soon afterward in brief remarks at the White House, said the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was based around a framework he proposed last May.

The most striking moment of Biden’s appearance came at its conclusion. A reporter asked whether the “history books” would credit the current president or Trump for the deal.

“Is that a joke?” Biden snapped back.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, pressed on the topic later in the afternoon at her final media briefing, told reporters, “Everybody’s going to want some credit. … What I can say is the president got it done.”

The back-and-forth is inevitable given the striking timing of an agreement that — finally — holds out some hope of an end to a period of catastrophic bloodshed.

The first phase of the ceasefire could come into force almost immediately, with an initial hostage release possibly scheduled for Sunday — the day before Biden leads office and Trump takes power for a second time.

The historical echo from an earlier Middle East crisis is unmistakable.

A generation ago,........

© The Hill