NYC mayoral hopeful Mamdani comments on Israeli hostages after backlash

After facing backlash for remaining silent during the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza, socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani finally broke his silence on Monday afternoon.

“Today’s scenes for Israelis and Palestinians are very poignant: the release of Israeli hostages and the reunion of families after years of fear, uncertainty and torture; the first days in Gaza without sustained Israeli bombing of Palestinians as families return to the rubble and their loved ones are freed from detention,” Mamdani Published on X on Monday shortly after 4 p.m. EDT in a message that did not mention president Donald Trump or acknowledge his role in the negotiations.

Mamdani went on to describe this development as a “ray of hope” that the ceasefire “will hold” and “the long and difficult work of reconstruction can begin.”

“I also know that this news brings solace to millions of New Yorkers who have felt the pain of the past few years,” Mamdani said. “We have watched our tax dollars fund genocide. The moral and humanitarian cost will be a lasting stain and require accountability and a real examination of our collective conscience and our government’s policies.”

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Mamdani concluded his lengthy post by saying that “the responsibility now lies with those who believe in peace.”

“Once aid is delivered, the wounded are taken care of, and a permanent agreement is reached, we cannot look the other way,” Mamdani said. “We must work for a future built on justice, a future free of occupation and apartheid, and for a world where every person can live in safety and dignity.”

Mamdani’s post came roughly three hours after one of his opponents, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, criticized him on social media for not commenting that morning when the hostages were released.

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A group of Hamas militants in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza while 20 Israeli hostages are released alive on October 13, 2025. (TPS-IL)

“It should not be overlooked that @ZohrankMamdani — who still refuses to condemn the phrase ‘globalization of intifada’ (widely understood to mean death for Jews) — has not yet commented on the hostage release,” Cuomo said. Published on X. “His silence says a lot.”

Both Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa issued statements on social media earlier in the morning praising the hostage release, with Sliwa being the only one to praise Trump by name.

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President Donald Trump poses for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before boarding Air Force One at Ben Gurion International Airport, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, near Tel Aviv, as Israeli President Isaac Herzog watches, left. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

In an interview with CNN on Friday, Mamdani hinted that he was open to giving credit to Trump.

“If the genocide ends, I think that is praiseworthy, and if the hostages are returned,” Mamdani said. “These things together need to be done in tandem.”

Mamdani’s post quickly sparked critical reactions, including from New York City GOP Councilwoman Ina Vernikoff.

“This word ‘authority’ is clearly missing: not a single mention of Hamas or the terrorists who brought this on themselves by murdering and raping their way through Israel on 7/10,” Vernikov posted on X. “You know, the same terrorists your wife was glorifying on her Instagram story? Those terrorists?”

Mamdani, who has been widely criticized for his comments and positions on Israel, spent Sunday night raising money for a UN organization that employed the October 7 terrorists, just hours before the last living Israeli hostages were released from Hamas captivity.

Trump celebrated “peace in the Middle East” after signing the historic peace agreement that ended two years of fighting in Gaza.

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“Finally, we have peace in The Middle East, “It’s a very simple expression: peace in the Middle East,” Trump said during his remarks in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, surrounded by dozens of world leaders.

“We’ve heard it for many years, but no one thought it could get there. And now we’re there.”

Trump continued: “This is the day that people across this region and around the world have been working, struggling, hoping and praying for. And with the historic agreement we just signed, the prayers of millions have finally been answered. Together, we have achieved the impossible.”

His comments came after Hamas released the last 20 hostages alive on Monday while Israel retreated from its positions on the front lines in Gaza over the weekend.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign but did not immediately receive a response.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.