President Donald Trump has garnered praise from former White House leaders — including longtime critics and rivals — for brokering a landmark peace agreement in Gaza.

Former Presidents Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, along with former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris and Mike Pence, released statements commending Trump’s diplomatic efforts.

This bipartisan approval followed Trump’s orchestration of a deal between Israel and Hamas, paving the way for a possible end to the war in Gaza, which has raged for two years, resulting in widespread devastation and death throughout the enclave.

More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and many more have faced famine and starvation due, in part, to Israeli restrictions on aid, according to Gaza health officials and U.N. officials. The current conflict began in October 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 more hostages.

Under the terms of the agreement, a ceasefire was enacted Oct. 10, and Hamas released all 20 remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Negotiations are now poised to commence for the second phase of the peace deal, guided by the recommendations detailed in Trump’s 20-point plan. The next stage — which will include discussions about the future governance of Gaza — will likely prove more challenging, according to The New York Times.

Former presidents, vice presidents react

“I am deeply grateful and relieved that this day has come,” Biden wrote in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

“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 former Democratic president said.

He remarked that achieving the deal was a challenge, while recalling his administration’s efforts — which proved unsuccessful — to halt the war.

“I commend President Trump and his team for their work to get a renewed ceasefire deal over the finish line,” Biden added.

Harris — who lost in the 2024 election to Trump — released a similar statement.

“I am thankful and deeply encouraged that this ceasefire has brought long-awaited moments of joy and reunion,” she wrote in a post on X, adding there is more work to be done.

“Through diplomacy and persistence, today is an important step toward a more hopeful future,” Harris said. “I commend the leaders and partners whose efforts made this agreement possible, including the President and his team.”

Clinton — who helped mediate the Oslo Accords in 1993 — also spoke of the newly announced deal in positive terms.

“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 Democratic president wrote in a post on X. “President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached.”

“Now, Israel and Hamas ...,” he added, “must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace …”

Additionally, Pence, who served as vice president during Trump’s first administration, released a statement in support of the president’s efforts.

“I join voices across America, Israel and around the world commending our president for bringing us to this historic day,” Pence wrote in a post on X.

“Thanks to your leadership, the people of Israel and the Middle East are now on the path to what we pray will be a just and lasting peace,” he added.

Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have not released public statements on the Gaza peace deal.

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