Former U.S. President Bill Clinton has commended President Donald Trump for brokering the ceasefire agreement between Palestine and Israel.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Clinton said Mr Trump and other actors who facilitated the ceasefire “deserve credit.”
“President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached,” Mr Clinton said.
He added, “I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 living hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza.”
The former U.S. president condemned the October 7 attack by Hamas that “reignited” the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group, which lasted for over two years.
“The horrors of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, and the conflict they reignited, have resulted in unbearable human loss. It has been hard to watch and nearly impossible to rationalise,” Mr Clinton said.
Calling for lasting peace between Palestine and Israel, Mr Clinton said, “Now Israel and Hamas—with the support of the United States, the region, and the world—must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis. I believe that they can get there, but only if they do it together.”
Mr Clinton’s statement followed the release of 20 Israeli hostages on Monday by Hamas as a result of the ceasefire brokered by Mr Trump.
Mr Trump visited Israel on Monday to meet with families of hostages and address lawmakers in the Knesset before travelling to Egypt for a summit on Gaza.
The 20 hostages were released after 738 days in captivity, having been abducted and held by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, attack, which left about 1,200 people dead and 251 others kidnapped.
During the two years the hostages were held, Israel Defence Forces targeted Hamas leaders, killing about four of them and more than 60,000 people, including women and children, in Gaza.
