Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus – Reps. Brad Schneider (IL-10), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Craig Goldman (TX-12) – released the following statement welcoming the announcement of a Middle East peace deal:

“We are elated by news that Israel and Hamas have come to an agreement to end the war in Gaza, release the hostages, and surge aid into Gaza. We thank President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and negotiators in allied and partner nations for their tireless efforts in service of peace over these past two years. Once all the hostages still held by Hamas are released, the Abraham Accords Caucus looks forward to reconvening Israel and its Arab partners in support of lasting peace, the disarming of Hamas, and rebuilding on foundations of stability and tolerance so that our ally Israel will never again be threatened.

“This devastating war began just over two years ago when Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, brutally slaughtered nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, including Americans. The past two years have seen tragic devastation and many false starts toward peace. We have also seen the welcome dismantling of much of Iran’s proxy terror network across the region, and the decimation of Iran’s nefarious nuclear and missile programs.

“We are grateful for strong U.S. leadership across Democratic and Republican Administrations and staunch bipartisan support for Israel throughout the war, including by helping bring dozens of hostages home during the November 2023 ceasefire, as well as dozens more in early 2025. We are also appreciative of the efforts of the mediators who helped get the deal over the line. Our hearts are with the families of the hostages in Israel as they anxiously await reunification with their loved ones, and we share in the hope of Israelis and Palestinians alike as they look forward to a peaceful future and the end of Hamas’s reign of terror.

“In the 118^th Congress, the Abraham Accords Caucus launched the Gaza Working Group to prepare for the ‘day after’ Hamas’s defeat and breathe new life into the Accords. Building on the success of those efforts, we stand ready to work with the White House, Israel, our allies in the region, and the international community to kickstart these conversations in support of long-term peace and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians and a better future for the entire Middle East. We are particularly enthusiastic to work with the Kingdom of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Morocco, and other Arab nations to deepen and expand the Accords to work towards a lasting peace in the region.”

The Abraham Accords Caucus, established to expand and deepen the historic Abraham Accords, serves as a forum for identifying and advancing strategic partnerships between Israel and its friends and neighbors. In the 118^th Congress, Reps. Brad Schneider, Ann Wagner, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and David Trone launched the Gaza Working Group (GWG) within the Abraham Accords Caucus to guide regional efforts in rebuilding Gaza with a focus on thwarting extremism and ensuring lasting stability. Off-the-record, Member-level meetings allowed candid discussions with diplomats from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia, emphasizing regional contributions to Gaza’s reconstruction and sustaining the momentum of normalization efforts to foster peace and mutual prosperity between Israel and partner nations. The GWG worked with diplomats from across the region, as well as with U.S. government agencies, think tanks, and development organizations to sharpen these ideas and assert the bipartisan role of Congress in promoting the Abraham Accords. We thank our counterparts in the U.S. government and partner nations for their engagement, as well as the many experts and practitioners who shared their insights.

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