Biden officials involved in the effort acknowledged that President-elect Donald Trump’s threats and Trump envoy Steve Witkoff’s participation during the final week of negotiations played a major role in bringing across the finish line a deal they had struggled to reach for more than a year.

The truce allowed Palestinians to return to bombed-out neighborhoods to begin rebuilding their lives, while relief trucks delivered much-needed aid.

The deal, mediated by the United States, offered a glimmer of hope in a conflict that has taken an immense human toll.