(The Center Square) – Congressional members representing Pennsylvania expressed relief and cautious optimism on Tuesday after the announcement of a ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle applauded the deal that comes more than a year after Hamas first killed more than a thousand Israelis in a terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and took hundreds of hostages, including some Americans.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden confirmed that the deal was in place after national media outlets broke the story. President-elect Donald Trump, whose own policy advisor, Steve Witkoff, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just before the deal was publicized, also took a victory lap on social media Wednesday afternoon.
More than 45,000 people have died over the last 15 months as Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip, creating a humanitarian crisis that’s driven sharp criticism. The deal, according to Biden, will unfold in two phases that include a ceasefire, the removal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of prisoners and hostages.
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Penn., said Trump’s “decisive leadership” was to thank for the deal.
“Just as Iran released American hostages the day President Reagan took office, Hamas was clearly compelled to act by President Trump,” he said on X. “His firm warning that ‘all hell will break out’ if hostages weren’t released by January 20 sent an unmistakable message, bringing Hamas to the negotiating table.
“This agreement demonstrates the power of peace through strength. The world is already seeing the positive change a Trump Administration will bring, even before he takes office.”
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., deferred praise to the president and State Secretary Anthony Blinken, saying she was “grateful for the significant breakthrough.”
The breakthrough, said Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, “is a step forward … but not the end of the road.”
“This is not a moment for complacency but for renewed determination,” he said. “We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends in Israel, united against the forces of terror. Terror will not triumph because we will not waver. And together, we will see this fight through and ensure freedom, security, and peace prevail.”
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, an outlier within his party for his staunch support of Israel’s military campaign in the region, had yet to make a public statement as of publication. His pinned post on X, dated Nov. 7, 2023, is a video of the missing posters for kidnapped Israelis.
“They will stay up until every single person is safely returned home,” he said.
After returning from a trip to the country in June, during which he met directly with Netanyahu, Fetterman said Congress should attack Hamas’s purse strings.
“Illicit finance fans the flames of the Israel-Hamas war,” he said. “What’s clearer than ever is that we have an opportunity to help Israel win this war in several ways, not just by our military and financial aid, but by strengthening existing regulatory tools.
Whether it’s making sure the Treasury Department has the necessary funding and tools or strengthening enforcement of existing sanctions, we have to do more to take on terror financing.”
