Reports that Israel and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of dozens of hostages in Gaza were met by congressional lawmakers with cautious optimism. 

Once the three-phase agreement was confirmed by the U.S. and Qatar — though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had yet to confirm the deal — lawmakers on both sides of the aisle supported the initial hostage release, while many emphasized the need to ensure that the remaining hostages not covered by the first phase of the agreement are released and that Hamas is fully dismantled.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) celebrated the developments and pledged that the Senate would stand with Israel in the coming weeks and support efforts to secure the release of every American.

“Fifteen months after Hamas launched a brutal war against our allies in Israel, today’s ceasefire and hostage deal is a relief to a world on edge. I am hopeful that this deal will lead to the return of every single hostage taken by Hamas terrorists and ultimately greater peace in the region,” Thune said in a statement. 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in a statement, “I commend the relentless leadership of President Biden in facilitating this comprehensive agreement based on the framework presented by the Biden administration in May and approved by the U.N. Security Council.”

Jeffries called the deal “long-overdue” and added, “We will not rest until the remaining hostages return home and lasting peace and security are realized for Israel, the Palestinian people and the entire Middle East region.” He said that U.S. support for Israel had “made Israel’s enemies weaker and less emboldened to continue obstructing peace and stability.”

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, reacted positively to the deal.

“Obviously any time you can stop fighting and save people’s lives, that’s a good thing,” Risch said. “We’ll have to wait before we start celebrating to see how this is actually going to turn out.”

Risch said that it’s “common sense” that the agreement came into being because of President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to Hamas.

Responding to concerns raised by some GOP colleagues, Risch said that “everyone is aware” that there is a risk that Hamas might use the cease-fire to re-arm and regroup, but indicated he believes the deal will provide safeguards. “I think that those people that were negotiating did so with the idea that Hamas cannot be part of any new government in the region, or anywhere else, and that will resolve the issue.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), a prominent pro-Israel House member and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, said that more work remains.

“I have said time and time again that peace can only be reached once Hamas surrenders and releases every single hostage,” Lawler said in a statement. “While I welcome the agreement reached by the joint coalition of President Trump’s team, the Biden team, and Netanyahu’s government, it is my hope that serious additional measures are taken to both rid Gaza of Hamas and secure the return of the remaining hostages.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) wrote on X, “If you do not understand that it was a game changer when President Trump declared that the hostage deal needs to be done before January 20th, you have missed a lot.”  

“I know President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has worked closely on this effort with the Biden Administration and others,” Graham continued. “It’s abundantly obvious to me that President Trump and his team made all the difference in the world — and that’s not a joke,” he added. “I believe the families of the hostages understand this dynamic as well.”

“We don’t trust Hamas. We trust that President Trump has put the fear of God into Hamas,” Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.

While many Republicans rushed to credit Trump for securing the deal — and some Democrats credited Biden alone — several pro-Israel Democrats credited both Biden and the incoming president.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) told reporters that she hadn’t yet been briefed on the details of the deal, but “generally we want to get the hostages home, we want to see a cease-fire, we want to be sure that we find a way to move forward with the innocent people on both sides, and for those hostage families, who have been living a literal hell for almost a year and a half.”

“Bipartisan, diplomatic leadership helped usher forward this agreement, and I hope it will lead to the end of this conflict and the protection of innocent civilian lives,” she added in a subsequent statement. “This deal was possible because of steadfast and unwavering U.S. support for Israel, which must continue to ensure Israel has the capabilities it needs to defend itself from Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies in the region.”

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) said he is “deeply grateful for both the steadfast efforts of President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their dedicated teams, as well as the vital support from the incoming administration. The joint efforts reaffirm America’s unshakable commitment to the safety of our allies and to building a more peaceful future for the entire region.”

Schneider also emphasized that all the hostages must be released and said that there will be more challenges ahead to create a new future for Gaza and the Middle East.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) wrote on X, “The news of a hostage deal between Israel & Hamas is greatly encouraging. Only because of military realities on the ground has Hamas finally agreed to a ceasefire.” He went on to thank both Biden and Trump “for helping make the return of these hostages a bipartisan issue.”

Several congressional Republicans indicated they had concerns that Hamas might use the pause in fighting to regroup and rearm.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said the deal “is a positive development” but “the problem is, I don’t think we can have any confidence that Hamas, [or] Iran, the sponsor of Hamas, will honor any agreements.”

“I think the details are very important, and I don’t know what exactly the quid-pro-quo is, or what was traded in order to get these hostages released,” Cornyn said. “I think it’s a good thing, obviously, the hostages get released, but again, the details matter, and that’s something I need to get briefed on.”

Cornyn said he believes the deal came about because Hamas and Iran “probably didn’t want to have to deal with President[-elect Donald] Trump. They figured they’d cut the best deal they could.”

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), who until recently led a Middle East-focused subcommittee in the House, said, “I’m concerned.”

“To me, a cease-fire means regrouping,” Wilson said. “Everything, to me, depends on actually if hostages are released.”

But pressed on whether it was the right move for Trump to endorse the deal, Wilson said he has “faith in him,” and reemphasized the need to see whether the hostages are actually freed. He said he believes the deal happened “because of [Trump’s] firm stand.”

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) also indicated that he’s worried about a Hamas resurgence.

“We all would love for the Israeli-Gaza conflict to end,” Scott said. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to see what happens. Are all of the hostages going to get out? Is Hamas going to stop trying to destroy Israel? Time will tell.”