Democratic mayoral front-runner Zohran Mamdani didn’t offer any comment Monday on the release of the last Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, as the other candidates in the race for City Hall, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, celebrated the development as a critical step toward peace in the region.
The 20 remaining hostages were returned around 5 a.m. Monday New York time. In exchange, Israel released some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and committed to a ceasefire in its war with Hamas, launched in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 terror attack. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
Within hours of the release of the hostages, Cuomo, an ardent supporter of Israel who’s running as an independent in the Nov. 4 mayoral election, said the development is “more than a diplomatic success.”
“It is a moral moment, a reminder of our shared humanity and the sacred value of every life,” the ex-governor said in a statement.
“We must never forget the terrorist act that brought us here, and we must stand together to say, with one voice: never forget and never again. Terrorism has no place in Gaza, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world.”
Sliwa, the Republican mayoral nominee who’s polling behind both Mamdani and Cuomo, offered thanks to President Trump, whose administration helped broker the ceasefire deal.
“We pray that these hostages coming home can recover, and live peacefully again. We are proud of President Trump and all involved for making this peace deal happen,” Sliwa wrote on X.
Mamdani, who’s as the Democratic nominee polling as the favorite to win next month’s mayoral election, hadn’t issued any comment as of 2 p.m. Monday. A spokeswoman for his campaign only said it was “TBD” as to whether he would send out a statement on the ceasefire agreement.
Cuomo argued that Mamdani’s lack of public comment is troubling.
“His silence speaks volumes,” Cuomo wrote in a post on X.
A fierce critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, Mamdani has accused the country’s government of perpertrating a genocide against Palestinians, citing a finding by a United Nations commission. He has said he would as mayor direct the NYPD to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on war crime charges leveled by the International Criminal Court.
Mamdani has come under fire for his position on Israel, including statements in which he has declined to back the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish state.
On Sunday, as word of the hostage releases started circulating, Mamdani posted a photo of himself running in the NYC Gaza 5K race through Prospect Park, which raised money for the United Nations’ main aid agency for Palestinian refugees.
“This morning I ran the NYC Gaza 5K in Prospect Park for the third time, alongside the Harlem Run Club, to raise money for @unrwausa, which delivers critical humanitarian aid and services to Palestinians in Gaza,” he wrote on X, using a link for the UN group. “I hope you’ll join me in donating.”
Mayor Adams, who abandoned his bid for reelection last month, joined Cuomo and Sliwa in celebrating the release of the hostage, saying “our hearts are filled with joy as an end to the war in Gaza appears to be on the horizon and families have finally been united.”
“We pray that this news will bring lasting peace, justice and prosperity to Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Adams said in a statement.
