US President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas are drawing global attention—and even praise from some of his political rivals.One of the praises he received is from former Vice President Kamala Harris. She publicly commended “the President” on Monday night for securing the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas.Thankful for ceasefire: Kamala HarrisHarris, 60, hailed the developments in the Middle East as “an important first step toward a more hopeful future.” In a statement on X, she said, “I am thankful and deeply encouraged that this ceasefire has brought long-awaited moments of joy and reunion — as 20 Israeli hostages are finally reunited with their loved ones and Palestinian families and the people of Gaza begin to receive desperately needed relief from unimaginable suffering.”President Trump unveiled his 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war on September 29. Hamas ultimately agreed to it on October 8, and the Israeli security cabinet approved it the following day. The two warring sides officially entered a ceasefire this past Friday, and Hamas set the last 20 living hostages free on Monday ahead of Trump’s address to the Israeli Knesset and his participation in the “Summit for Peace” in Egypt. Harris had previously given Trump faint praise for his efforts to broker the peace plan, referring to him by his title only. “I don’t think that we should hold in credit where it’s due,” Harris told MSNBC’s “The Weekend” in an interview that aired Sunday, after the anchor noted that Hillary Clinton had praised Trump.“I really do hope it [the deal] becomes real,” she added. “I commend the people who have been a part of this process. I commend the Qataris, the Egyptians and the President.” Scores of top Democrats had hailed the breakthrough between Israel and Gaza, but many had refrained from crediting Trump’s role in the processRep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) criticised Trump, saying, “Raising hell at home & then pretending to be the President of Peace is diabolical,” on social media Monday afternoon. Harris also cautioned, “There is still much more work to do to secure a lasting peace, ensure the safety and dignity of every innocent life, and build a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in freedom and security.”Biden praises PresidentFormer President Biden expressed his “deep gratitude and relief” on platform X regarding the recent liberation of the last 20 living hostages by Hamas.Biden commended President Trump for his role in facilitating the ceasefire. President Biden highlighted that the “road to this deal was not easy” and stated that his administration “worked relentlessly to bring hostages home, get relief to Palestinian civilians” and end the war. “I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line,” Biden remarked. He further added, “Now, with the backing of the United States and the world, the Middle East is on a path to peace that I hope endures and a future for Israelis and Palestinians alike with equal measures of peace, dignity, and safety.”Blinken says Trump peace plan for Gaza is based on Biden administration proposalAntony Blinken, former US Secretary of State, stated that President Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip was based on a strategy developed by the Biden administration. In a lengthy post on X, Blinken, a former official in the Biden administration, detailed how Trump managed to secure the peace agreement.He highlighted that Arab states and Turkey have declared “enough” to Hamas and noted that this response indicated that other Iran-backed groups — Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthi rebels — were not assisting Hamas. “It starts with a clear and comprehensive post-conflict plan for Gaza,” Blinken wrote. “It’s good that President Trump adopted and built on the plan the Biden administration developed after months of discussion with Arab partners, Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” Blinken also stated that the Biden administration had briefly secured a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January, which led to the release of 135 hostages before the agreement collapsed. He further questioned how Trump could establish a permanent peace plan Go to Source
