Trump says he may go to the Middle East for Gaza deal

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he may travel to the Middle East this weekend as his negotiators seek to seal a Gaza hostages-for-ceasefire deal.

Trump said at the White House that a deal is “very close,” and that he may depart Saturday for the region.

He spoke after talking to his team about the talks. Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt to try to complete an agreement.

The most promising effort yet to end the war in Gaza was bolstered as senior figures from Israel and the United States joined the negotiations on Wednesday after Hamas handed over its lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed in a swap.

With President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan appearing closer than any previous bid to halt the war, delegations upgraded their presence at the indirect talks, launched on Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Offering an upbeat assessment, Trump said a deal was “very close” and that he may travel to the Middle East this weekend, possibly leaving as soon as Saturday, if an agreement is reached.

“It’s something I think that will happen, got a good chance of happening,” he said at the start of a White House event, referring to the potential for a breakthrough, after he was briefed by his team in Egypt.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived and began participation in the negotiations, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

Also joining the discussions was the prime minister of longstanding mediator Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, according to Egyptian sources.

TURKEY SAYS TALKS ARE MAKING HEADWAY

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the mediated negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas had made “a lot of headway” and that a ceasefire would be declared if they reached a positive outcome.

Trump also expressed optimism about progress towards a deal on Tuesday, and European, Arab and other states will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss Gaza’s post-war transition, with Washington likely to be represented, diplomatic sources said.

But crucial details are yet to be spelled out, including the timing, a post-war administration for the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.

Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave has been flattened since Israel began its military response to the Hamas attack two years ago. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage back to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.

Hamas said it had handed over its lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged in a swap, and was optimistic about the talks so far.

The list of Palestinians Hamas wants freed is expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever jailed by Israel, whose release had been off limits in previous ceasefires.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, a leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.

Hamas says the indirect negotiations were focused so far on three issues: halting the conflict, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and the swap deal.

The group has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that Hamas give up its arms, which the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupy Palestinian land.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that sticking points included the mechanism for the Israeli withdrawal, with Hamas seeking a clear timeline linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a complete withdrawal by Israeli forces.

ISRAEL DIALS DOWN ITS OFFENSIVE

Within Gaza, Israel has dialled down its military campaign at Trump’s behest, but it has not halted strikes altogether. The Israeli military said its forces had killed several militants in Gaza City, Gaza’s main urban hub, who it said were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers.

Gaza medical authorities reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, the lowest toll for weeks. Daily death tolls had been around 10 times as high over the past month as Israeli forces advance on Gaza City.

“We hope from God that a ceasefire would take place as soon as possible, because people can’t bear the suffering anymore,” said Jehad al-Shagnobi, whose house was destroyed in the Sabra district of Gaza City.

Another participant in the talks was Turkish spymaster Ibrahim Kalin, Egyptian sources said. This pointed to a growing role for Turkey, a NATO member with close contacts with Hamas. President Tayyip Erdogan said Trump had asked Turkey to help persuade Hamas to accept the deal.

ARAB COUNTRIES SAY PLAN MUST LEAD TO PALESTINIAN STATE

Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in Gaza’s post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.

There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out a role for Hamas, which has run Gaza since driving out Palestinian rivals in 2007.

Hamas has said it would relinquish Gaza governance only to a Palestinian technocrat government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.

Global outrage has mounted against Israel’s assault. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say it amounts to genocide. Israel calls its actions self-defence after the 2023 Hamas attack.