WASHINGTON – In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined MSNBC’s Ana Cabrera Reports today and expressed cautious optimism about reports that Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a peace deal, calling it “a huge relief.”

“It’s a huge relief, and I am hopeful that we may yet see the release of the hostages who’ve been held by Hamas in the tunnels beneath Gaza, some relief for the families who’ve waited for so long for the remains of those hostages who’ve been killed by Hamas, the flooding of humanitarian relief into Gaza for the Palestinians who have suffered through this war, and a path towards the reconstruction of a post-Hamas Gaza and lasting security for Israel. All of that is an enormously attractive prospect, which I hope we will see.

“I'll remind you, Ana, that in January, most of this was in place. There was a ceasefire, hostages were being released, humanitarian relief was flooding into Gaza, and then, because of choices made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, we've seen eight more months of brutal war, loss of life, and suffering. Hopefully, this time, the two parties, Hamas and Israel, will approve this deal, and we will see the deradicalization of Gaza and the reconstruction and humanitarian relief for Gaza.”

You can watch the full interview here.