President Donald Trump is receiving some very rare praise from Democrats and other political opponents after he and his administration managed to broker a peace deal between Israel and Hamas after two years of fighting.
Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack against Israeli communities in October 2023, killing nearly 1,300 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with rage, virtually destroying Gaza while killing thousands of Hamas fighters.
Former President Bill Clinton is one Democrat who praised Trump for his administration’s role in brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, saying the president and regional partners “deserve great credit” for maintaining progress in the negotiations.
“The horrors of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the conflict they reignited have resulted in unbearable human loss,” Clinton wrote on social media. “It has been hard to watch and nearly impossible to rationalize.”
“I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza,” he continued. “President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached.”
The former president went on to add that, with support from the U.S., the region, and the world, Israel and Hamas have to turn this “fragile moment into lasting peace that provides the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.”
“I believe that they can get there, but only if they do it together,” Clinton said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also lauded Trump’s efforts.
“Today is a wonderful day. Finally, finally, finally, the last living hostages brutally held by Hamas are home, an immense and overwhelming sigh of relief,” he told NewsNation. “I commend the enormous advocacy of the tireless hostage families, President Trump, his administration, and all who helped make this moment happen.”
All 20 living Israeli hostages were released Monday as Israel and Hamas began implementing the first phase of a peace agreement backed by the Trump administration.
As part of the ceasefire deal, Israel also released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, marking a significant step toward ending the conflict in Gaza.
Trump urged Israeli leaders to shift their focus from warfare to peace, telling members of the Knesset that Israel had achieved “all that they can by the force of arms.” He expressed optimism about the region’s future and called the peace agreement a pivotal moment for long-term stability.
Several prominent Democrats praised the ceasefire and the return of hostages but did not acknowledge Trump’s role in facilitating the agreement.
“Thankful that all 20 living Israeli hostages are home with their loved ones. And that humanitarian assistance is being surged into Gaza for Palestinian civilians,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday on X. “We must now recommit to achieving a just and lasting peace in the region. Nothing less than that is acceptable.”
“After two years of unimaginable loss and suffering for Israeli families and the people of Gaza, we should all be encouraged and relieved that an end to the conflict is within sight; that those hostages still being held will be reunited with their families; and that vital aid can start reaching those inside Gaza whose lives have been shattered,” former President Obama said in a post Thursday on X, shortly after acceptance of the deal was announced.
When asked how the ceasefire might hold after his presidency, Trump said he could not predict the future but pledged to “be out there fighting for whoever it may be,” referring to his hope that another Republican would succeed him in the White House once his term concludes, Fox News reported.
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