Colorado elected officials on both sides of the aisle celebrated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas on Monday, as hostages held by Hamas for more than two years returned home and Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Calling President Donald Trump “a true peacemaker and a master dealmaker,” U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert said in a post on X that her fellow Republican has “delivered an end to the devastating war and the safe return of our brave Israeli hostages after two years.”

“America stands stronger and prouder today because of his leadership,” the Windsor lawmaker said. “Blessed are the peacemakers. President Trump has earned that title forever!”

“This morning brings some good news,” Democratic Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “After 736 excruciating days and nights, the surviving hostages seized in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack are finally being freed from harsh Hamas captivity and are returning safely home to their families, and a ceasefire in Gaza is finally in place.”

Polis thanked Trump and the participants for brokering the deal, announced late last week, calling the agreement an encouraging development that “sets the stage to rebuild Gaza and establish a peaceful, prosperous, and safe future for Palestinians, Israelis, and the Middle East.”

“The return of the hostages and the end of fighting in Gaza are the first steps towards building a lasting peace for the region which has been torn apart by violence and suffering for far too long,” Polis said. “I thank President Trump, Qatar, Egypt, and negotiators from the Israeli and Palestinian communities for making the safe return of the hostages, and the ceasefire, possible.”

Polis, who met with families of Israeli hostages last year, said that his thoughts are with the hostages and their families. He added that while Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the safe return of 20 hostages is an occasion for celebration.

“Every life spared is meaningful and powerful, and as the Jewish saying goes ‘Whoever saves a life, saves a universe,'” said Polis, the state’s first Jewish governor.

Bruce Dollin, the rabbi emeritus at Congregation HEA in Southeast Denver, said he feels an enormous personal relief now that the hostages have returned home.

“I have great hope for this peace process moving forward and I have enormous gratitude for leadership of President Trump in pushing this forward. It has been a nightmare for Israelis and for Jews worldwide and I think this process portends for a whole new paradigm in the Middle East,” the rabbi said. “I’m happy but also sad that so many lost their lives in the past two years.”

Rabbi Rick Rheins of Temple Sinai, a reform congregation in southeast Denver, noted that the day coincides with two Jewish calendar commemorations, one of them joyous and another mournful.

“We feel in our hearts both thrill and sadness for the souls of those who after two years in dungeonlike conditions are finally home,” he said. “We know their path of healing will take years.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans of Fort Lupton praised Trump.

“Make no mistake, this wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of
@POTUS in brokering a ceasefire,” he said in a post on X, using the common acronym and the platform’s user name for the president.

“With this nightmare over, now is the time to build a lasting peace in the Middle East,” Evans added.

U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, a Colorado Springs Republican, made a similar point in a post on X: “Thank you @POTUS for your strength and leadership!”

U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Denver Democrat, called the release of the remaining hostages and prisoners “welcome news” amid work to end the conflict, which has led to more than 67,000 deaths of combatants and civilians in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

“Now, there must be a massive surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a coordinated effort to rebuild,” DeGette said on X. “The ultimate goal is peace and freedom for both Israelis and Palestinians, and today’s efforts move us closer to making that a reality.”

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Lakewood Democrat, said Monday marked the “beginning of healing from this endless nightmare” in a post on X.

“I share the hope that so many are feeling around the world — that today’s reunification might actually be the beginning of this tragic war coming to an end that will ultimately bring lasting peace for the Israelis and Palestinians,” Pettersen said.

In a written statement, Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said the Israeli hostages’ families and Palestinian parents in Gaza alike have reason for hope.

“Both sides must implement this arrangement without delay,” Bennet said. “Equally vital, the United States — working with our regional partners — must ensure that this latest ceasefire leads to a durable end to the war and the human suffering in Gaza, and not a return to fighting, as occurred in March.”

Bennet added that despite what he described as “all the reasons for pessimism,” he maintains a belief that a two-state solution — “with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in dignity, peace, and security” — is a requirement for enduring peace in the region.