Democratic senators on Thursday gave some credit to President Donald Trump for brokering phase one of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas but warned of potential challenges in enacting the plan.
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said he’s “waiting to exhale” and see Hamas actually return Israeli hostages. Then, he said, “there’ll be credit for President Trump, which he deserves, and for others who participated in this really monumental accomplishment.”
“There’s still some obstacles on the way there, and I hope they can be surmounted,” Blumenthal said.
Some of Trump’s allies have said he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the agreement, but Democrats stopped short of suggesting the honor should be bestowed on the US president in the hours after he revealed that a deal had been reached.
“There’ll be plenty of time to decide what prizes, recognitions, honors should go to world leaders who have participated,” Blumenthal said.
The senator earlier told reporters that the negotiated process, which he said will be “fraught with obstacles,” needs “bipartisan support.”
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin said he thinks Trump deserves credit for the deal “if it works,” adding that “it’s off to a good start.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he responded when asked about the Nobel Peace Prize. “We’re at the earliest stages of a proposed peace plan. I want it to work. Let’s watch and see.”
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine also praised the breakthrough, saying he applauds Trump and his team, adding, “Obviously, we have to see how it progresses, but ending the war, hostage release, humanitarian aid, and then the next chapter.”
Wednesday evening, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that a ceasefire agreement had been reached.
“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan,” Trump wrote in a post. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was set to convene a meeting of his security cabinet to vote on the agreement. Netanyahu would then chair a full government meeting to approve the deal. Two Israeli officials told CNN that once approved, a ceasefire in Gaza would begin.
On Capitol Hill Thursday morning, South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said he had earlier talked with Trump about the deal, which he called a “major breakthrough on a human level.”
There are “a lot of details yet to be ironed out,” he noted, including disarmament – which he said, “has to be done in a way that Hamas can never threaten Palestinians or the Israelis again.”
Asked if Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, Graham said he thinks the president already deserved the award for previous accomplishments, adding: “This is a ceasefire, and let’s see what happens in phase two.”
Pressed on whether he’s worried about Hamas living up to their end of the deal, Graham said that “everybody’s worried about phase two, but let’s celebrate phase one.” Trump, he added later, has brought each side to the negotiating table “through his sheer will and personality.”
GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, asked if he was skeptical Hamas might not follow through, said: “They never have, right? So, but you know, you can always hope.”
“I know a lot of people put a lot of effort into this, and so I hope it happens. I hope it’s — it’s good for the people of Gaza, gives them, hopefully, an opportunity in the future,” he said.