‘It is a day for optimism,’ Carney says as Israel, Hamas edge closer to ending war

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday “it is a day for optimism” as Israel and Hamas agreed to the terms of a U.S.-brokered plan for peace in Gaza, paving the way for the release of the Israeli hostages and an end to the hostilities. 

Carney said Canada is urging all parties to honour the plan, and urging Hamas in particular to follow through on its part of the bargain, namely releasing all the hostages — including the bodies of the deceased — that it snatched and kept in captivity after its brutal Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The agreement, which has not been published in its entirety but includes at least some sort of ceasefire, came about after sustained pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and his Arab interlocutors who urged both sides to down weapons after two years of bloodshed.

Carney saluted Trump for what he called his “effective leadership,” which “made it possible” for the two sides to come together.

Carney also acknowledged the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for helping pull together a plan for peace.

“The Qataris, the Egyptians and Turkey have been essential to get to this moment,” he told reporters on his way into Parliament.

WATCH | ‘It is a day for optimism,’ says Carney on first phase of U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas deal:

‘It is a day for optimism,’ says Carney on first phase of U.S.-proposed Israel-Hamas deal

Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill on Thursday, saluted U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts on the U.S.-proposed peace plan between Israel and Hamas, and said he discussed with Trump how Canada can support the peace process during his recent Washington visit.

Carney said there may be a role for Canada in the days ahead.

Carney revealed Wednesday he has spoken in the last 48 hours to Kushner and former British prime minister Tony Blair, who Trump has said could run an international transitional body that would oversee the governance of post-war Gaza.

“The president and I discussed, in the White House, how Canada can support this process. We are supporting with humanitarian aid — there’s other mechanisms that we can do to support it,” Carney said. “We’re encouraged, but it’s the first phase and there’s more to come.”