House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., on Thursday applauded the news that Israel and Hamas have formally agreed to the first phase of a hostage release deal, calling it "a very, very positive step in the right direction."
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas accepted the initial terms of his peace plan — namely, the release of all hostages and a repositioning of Israeli forces to a designated line.
Jeffries told CNN News Central that the agreement revives hopes for a ceasefire, adding that he wants to see the agreement finalized quickly, with hostages returned home, so humanitarian aid can start surging into Gaza.
"It's a very, very positive step in the right direction. We're all hopeful that this agreement will be finalized, that the hostages will be released in a matter of days and returned home to their loved ones," Jeffries said.
"Of course that we can surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza, to alleviate the pain and suffering that Palestinian civilians have been experiencing in a theater of war for the last two years and that we can achieve not just a ceasefire, but a pathway toward a just and lasting peace for both Israel and the Palestinian people," he added.
Trump, in a social media post, described the agreement as "historic and unprecedented," and thanked mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their role in brokering the deal.
Under the plan, Hamas would relinquish control of Gaza's civil governance to an "International Stabilization Force," which Trump and former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair would jointly lead with assistance from Palestinian experts.
While the deal marks a major turning point, it does not include a precise timeline for hostage release, the conditions for troop withdrawal, Gaza's transition in governance, and whether a broader, enduring peace can be constructed atop this foundation.
Analysts note that prior ceasefire and exchange efforts in the 2025 Gaza war have faltered over similar sticking points — particularly governance, security arrangements, and long-term political frameworks.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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