In a rare moment of bipartisan recognition, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commended President Donald Trump for his role in brokering the Gaza peace agreement, which is expected to bring an end to the two-year war in the region.
“I really commend President Trump and his administration,” Clinton told CBS News 24/7 on Friday. She also praised Arab leaders for committing to the 20-point plan, describing it as “a path forward for what’s often called the day after.”
Her remarks came just one day after Hamas agreed to Trump’s peace proposal which includes the release of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages as early as Monday and a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Clinton, who advocated for a two-state solution during her tenure under President Barack Obama, urged the Trump administration to ensure accountability from both Israel and Gaza, as well as from the international community.
“Let’s now support this process and bring it together, not just in a nonpartisan way in our own country, but literally internationally as a great global commitment to try to bring peace, security, stability and a better future to the Middle East,” she said in the interview.
She also credited the Trump administration’s strategic move to bring Israel to the negotiating table following Israeli strikes on Hamas leaders during peace talks in Qatar in September.
The remarks are rare given Clinton’s previous animosity towards Trump, who defeated her in the 2016 presidential election. She has continued to criticize Trump in recent years.
In one incident, she warned that Trump “is a clear and present danger to America” and said she is "convinced" that his associates worked secretly with Russia to defeat her bid for presidency.
Previously, Clinton ripped Trump over his decision not to recertify the nuclear deal with Iran, saying his threat to pull out of the accord is "dangerous" and suggesting he is undermining the validity of the United States' promises to other nations.
In a book released following her election loss, the former Secretary of State wrote that during the campaign Trump had invaded her personal space during a presidential debate in St. Louis.
"No matter where I walked, he followed me closely, staring at me, making faces," Clinton wrote. "It was incredibly uncomfortable."
"My skin crawled," she added.