DONALD Trump is poised to travel to the Middle East in the coming days as hopes rise for a historic cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
The president said negotiations were “going very well” — and hinted he could fly out this weekend if a deal is struck to end two years of bloodshed in Gaza.
“I may go there,” he told reporters at the White House, suggesting a trip on Sunday — “perhaps Saturday evening” — as he described talks as “very close.”
“It’s something I think that will happen, got a good chance of happening,” he said at the start of the White House event, referring to the potential for a breakthrough, after he was briefed by his team in Egypt.
The remark came just hours after Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff landed in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
They’re joining Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer for what diplomats are calling the most promising push yet to end the war.
Breakthrough within reach
Trump’s upbeat tone capped a day of frantic diplomacy that saw top Israeli and US figures rush to Egypt after Hamas handed over lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed in a potential swap.
The 20-point Trump plan, long dismissed as wishful thinking, now appears to be edging toward reality.
Officials close to the talks say an agreement could be announced within days, possibly tied to a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a sweeping exchange of captives.
Some Arab mediators believe they can persuade Hamas to partly disarm — a once unthinkable step for the militant group.
Also at the table were Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, and a team of Egyptian negotiators.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Trump personally asked Ankara to help persuade Hamas to accept the deal.
Trump’s 20-point peace plan in full
- 1. Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone
- 2. Gaza will be redeveloped
- 3. The war will immediately end
- 4. Within 72 hours, all hostages will be returned
- 5. Israel will release 250 dangerous prisoners plus 1700 Gazans detained after Oct 7th
- 6. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage
- 7. Full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip
- 8. Entry of distribution and aid in the Gaza Strip will proceed without interference
- 9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee
- 10. A Trump economic development plan to rebuild and energize Gaza will be created
- 11. A special economic zone will be established
- 12. No one will be forced to leave Gaza
- 13. Hamas agrees to not have any role in the governance of Gaza
- 14. A guarantee will be provided by regional partners to ensure that Hamas comply with obligations
- 15. The US will work to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza
- 16. Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza
- 17. If Hamas delays or rejects this proposal, Israel can proceed with invasion
- 18. An interfaith dialogue process will be established
- 19. Credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can begin
- 20. The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians for peaceful and prosperous co-existence
While Trump struck a triumphant note, Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who passed Trump a handwritten note during a White House event — offered a cooler assessment.
“Events are moving in a good direction, but there’s still some work to be done,” Rubio told reporters.
“We’ve been here before in the past and been disappointed.”
Rubio was seen handing Trump a letter regarding Gaza-Israel deal during White House presser.
Upclose pictures of the note revealed the message: “Very close. We need you to approve a Truth social post soon so you can announce deal first.”
Trump has not yet posted anything.
The stakes in Gaza
The war that erupted after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 cross-border attack has left Gaza in ruins.
More than 67,000 people have been killed, according to Gaza authorities.
Israel says 1,200 were killed and 251 taken hostage in the Hamas assault.
And only 20 of the 48 remaining captives are believed to be alive.
Israeli forces, at Trump’s urging, have scaled back operations in Gaza but not halted them entirely.
Gaza’s health officials reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours — the lowest toll in weeks.
“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 home was destroyed in Gaza City’s Sabra district.
What comes next?
Even as negotiators talk cease-fire, the question of Gaza’s future looms.
Trump’s plan calls for an international body — led by the former president himself and including ex–British Prime Minister Tony Blair — to oversee Gaza’s post-war administration.
Arab states backing the plan insist it must lead to an independent Palestinian state — something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejects.
Hamas, for its part, says it would surrender control of Gaza only to a technocratic Palestinian government under the Palestinian Authority, supported by Arab and Muslim nations — and rejects any foreign role, including Blair’s.
