By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, members of Congress are reacting to a proposed ceasefire deal in Gaza which could take effect as early as this weekend.
News broke Wednesday of the ceasefire-hostage agreement between Hamas and Israel. The three-phase ceasefire deal calls for the release of hostages held in Gaza and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. It would also allow the hundreds of thousands of displaced people in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes after 15 months of war, destruction and devastation.
However, reports on Thursday indicated some tension within the Israeli government over the proposed deal. The Israeli cabinet was expected to vote on the deal Thursday, but according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Israel is holding off to settle last minute hurdles.
As of Thursday afternoon, Israeli officials expect the cabinet to convene Saturday to vote on the plan. A senior Hamas official said the group is committed to the agreement announced by the mediators.
Despite these last-minute concerns, U.S. officials are confident the deal will go into effect, as planned.
Yesterday, President Biden said the deal “was developed and negotiated under his administration,” adding that the terms will be implemented, for the most part, under the next administration.
Many Democrats on Capitol Hill are crediting the deal to the Biden administration’s diplomacy.
“I am relieved that a ceasefire and hostage release deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas. I am incredibly grateful for the Biden administration’s tireless pursuit of such a deal and the collaborative and bipartisan approach the Biden administration brought to these final negotiations,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY) in a statement Wednesday. “The deal is only in its early stages, and Congress, the incoming Trump administration, and our allies and partners must monitor and ensure that the agreement is fulfilled in its entirety.”
“The ceasefire agreement that has been reached secures the release of dozens of hostages, halts the fighting in Gaza, and allows vital aid to reach civilians. The U.S. must continue working to free the remaining hostages and bring lasting peace and stability to the region,” said Sen. Gary Peters (D- Mich) in a post on the social media platform, X.
Congressional Republicans say the deal is a result of the incoming Trump administration.
“The impact of him coming onto the world stage is making Hamas a much better participant in the negotiations,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R- NY). “They understand there’s a new sheriff in town. The Hamas negotiations would not be going this way if President Trump wasn’t coming into office on Monday.”
Langworthy is cautiously optimistic about the deal, which U.S. officials expect to begin being implemented by Sunday.
“I’m thrilled that there is a resolution that’s going to free some of the hostages. We need to not rest until all of the hostages are returned, especially the Americans that still remain by enemy lines and Hamas’ hands,” said Langworthy.
