Former President Joe Biden issued a statement on Monday in reaction to freed Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, offering President Donald Trump and his administration praise for their “work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email Monday night for comment.
Why It Matters
The release of Israeli hostages in Gaza following a U.S.-brokered ceasefire marks one of the biggest diplomatic developments in the Middle East since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Biden’s comments—along with other Democrats’ reactions or silence—regarding Trump’s role in brokering the agreement have highlighted ongoing partisan divides in the U.S., as well as the complexity of American leadership in international conflict.
The deal brings relief to hostage families but opens a new round of political discussion in Washington as the country reassesses its influence and responsibilities in the region.
What To Know
Taking to X to note the historic moment, Biden said: “I am deeply grateful and relieved that this day has come – for the last living 20 hostages who have been through unimaginable hell and are finally reunited with their families and loved ones, and for the civilians in Gaza who have experienced immeasurable loss and will finally get the chance to rebuild their lives.
“The road to this deal was not easy. My 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. 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.”
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, announced earlier this month, resulted in the release of the last 20 living Israeli hostages after over two years of captivity and a devastating war that began with Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners were also released on Monday.
Biden’s post sparked mixed reaction online.
What People Are Saying
Conservative radio host Erick Erickson, on X Monday: “This is a good statement.”
Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh, on X Monday: “That @JoeBiden put out this magnanimous & gracious statement AFTER all the horrible, dishonest things Trump said about Biden today, says so much about who Joe Biden is as a person. And reminds us all once again of what an utterly horrible, small, bad, & insecure person Trump is.”
Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on X Monday: “The debate among Democrats will not be whether Biden got Gaza policy right but how and why he got it wrong and made a grave mistake that must not be repeated.”
Progressive commentator and journalist Mehdi Hasan, on X Monday: “You helped fund and arm a genocide and, then, when you had a chance to do this same deal to end it over a year ago, you and Brett McGurk turned it down.”
Chris D. Jackson, Democratic activist, on X Monday: “Statesman.”
What Happens Next
The terms of the peace agreement require sustained cooperation between Israel, Palestinian authorities and the international community. Humanitarian efforts for reconstruction and aid in Gaza are expected to accelerate.
Whether lasting peace in the region can be achieved—or if sporadic violence will return—is an open question, as acknowledged by both supporters and critics of the deal.
