Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice recently commended President Trump for facilitating a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“This is an important first step, and I want to commend President Trump, his administration, and regional Arab leaders for their commitment to the 20-point plan and for making strides toward a more stable future,” Clinton noted in an interview. She also expressed her hope that this conflict would end in a ceasefire.
The agreement stipulates that Israeli forces will withdraw to a designated line in Gaza, halt military actions, and release 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. In exchange, Hamas is expected to free all hostages, both living and deceased. The Trump administration played a crucial role in crafting an agreement to eventually transfer control of Gaza to an independent Palestinian organization.
Rice shared some optimism about this peace initiative but acknowledged on CBS that “given the history of the Middle East,” there’s a lack of complete confidence in the deal’s potential to bring lasting peace. “Still, there are factors we hope will contribute to this being a special and significant moment,” she added.
Rice, who served under President George W. Bush, pointed out the uncertainty surrounding the necessary measures to transfer land to the Palestinian Authority. “The Palestinian Authority has lost its grip on Gaza since 2006 and hasn’t undergone serious reform in a while. Some changes are really necessary,” she pointed out, suggesting that fresh leadership might be needed.
She also proposed involving Palestinians living abroad in fostering a “new generation of leadership” because “the Palestinian people need to take ownership of this solution.”
Clinton expressed her concerns about the new authority’s capacity to eliminate the presence of Hamas and rebuild Gaza. “I have zero confidence that Hamas has changed in any meaningful way or is prepared to work toward a better future for the people of Gaza or the Palestinian community,” she remarked. “So we need to be cautious about how they are decommissioned and thereafter supported.”
She added that, according to the agreement, Hamas members have the option to leave the country with safe passage, which she hopes many will choose to do.
Earlier this year, Clinton shared her optimism regarding the Trump administration’s potential to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine, claiming she would nominate the president for the Nobel Peace Prize if those talks succeeded. On Friday, however, the Nobel committee awarded the prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado instead.
On Saturday, both former secretaries of state affirmed President Trump’s capacity to stabilize the Middle East, emphasizing his close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and support from Egypt and Qatar. Clinton remarked, “The stars are aligning in a way we haven’t seen before, and I think the Israeli government needs to take advantage of this moment and implement reforms.”
She added, “While we need to establish a new transitional authority for the Palestinian people, the Israeli government must also make tough choices in light of these changing circumstances.”
