Democrat Mark Kelly praises Trump for Gaza peace deal: ‘He should get a lot of credit’

WASHINGTON, DC: Democratic Senator Mark Kelly said President Donald Trump “should get a lot of credit” for brokering the Gaza peace deal between Israel and Hamas, calling it “his deal” and praising the team he sent to negotiate it.

“I think he should get a lot of credit. I mean, this was his deal. He worked this out. He sent Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner over to negotiate this. And so far, it’s gone well,” Kelly said during an appearance on CNN’s 'State of the Union' on Sunday. 

Mark Kelly praises Gaza deal, urges rebuilding efforts

Kelly described the agreement as a “major step forward” after months of conflict, adding that the next critical phase would involve rebuilding Gaza.

“Hopefully, the hostages get released here, might not be within 24 hours, but certainly, I think, by Monday. And that’s progress,” he said.

“My hope is the Saudis and Emiratis step up and do what they said they would, invest in rebuilding Gaza, where 90 percent of the homes have been destroyed. It is such a tragic situation,” he added.

“It’s good to see these 600 aid trucks. That should have been happening over the last two years."

Mark Kelly praises Trump’s peace plan, warns of hurdles

When asked about potential sticking points in the 20-point peace plan, particularly whether Hamas would agree to lay down its arms, Kelly said there was cautious optimism but warned of challenges.

“I think it’s possible, I am concerned, that they may change their minds here,” he said. “The Iranians, their benefactor, are not what they were even just months ago. So I think they see the writing on the wall that things have turned not in their direction, which is a good thing. I think that allows us to get this deal.”

He emphasized that many steps remain before lasting peace is achieved. “There’s twenty or twenty-one points in this plan, and a lot of things have to happen to get to a lasting peace,” Kelly noted.  

Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice call Trump’s peace plan promising

In a separate CBS News 24/7 interview, former Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice also praised Trump’s initiative while stressing that implementation would determine its success.

“I really commend President Trump and his administration, as well as Arab leaders in the region, for making the commitment to the 20-point plan and seeing a path forward for what’s often called the day after,” Clinton said.

Rice expressed cautious optimism, noting that peace in the Middle East has rarely come easily. “No one can be completely confident, given the history of the Middle East,” she said. “But there are good reasons to be optimistic.”

Both underscored that the first stage of the deal, including the hostages’ release and Hamas’s disarmament, must be completed before any long-term progress can take hold.

“That’s not self-evident,” Clinton said. “It’s going to take a lot of work and coordination.” Rice added that uniting all parties remains the toughest task. “Bringing together the various factions is one of the biggest challenges to achieving lasting peace.”