United States President Donald Trump has hinted that he could embark on a trip to the Middle East before the week’s end, as diplomatic talks in Egypt show growing signs of progress toward a possible ceasefire in Gaza.
Officials close to the negotiations in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh described the atmosphere as “encouraging,” with Trump’s own 20-point peace framework now serving as the foundation of discussions between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Addressing reporters at the White House on Wednesday, the U.S. leader was quoted as saying that negotiations were moving in a “very positive direction.” He suggested that he might travel to Egypt “around Sunday,” and did not completely rule out a visit to Gaza itself — a prospect that, if realized, would mark an unprecedented American presidential entry into the war-torn enclave.
Trump said he believed peace was “very close,” adding that he remained “hopeful” that his plan could deliver “a new chapter for the Middle East.” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who personally invited Trump to Cairo should an agreement be reached, reportedly echoed that sentiment, telling local media that the signals from the negotiation rooms were “promising.”
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Hamas officials also voiced cautious optimism. Senior representative Taher al-Nunu told AFP from Sharm El-Sheikh that mediators were working to remove the remaining obstacles to a truce. He revealed that the group had submitted a list of Palestinian prisoners it wanted released under the initial phase of the deal, in return for freeing the remaining 47 Israeli hostages — both living and deceased — captured during the October 7, 2023, attacks that ignited the war.
Trump’s plan reportedly outlines a phased ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Al-Qahera News, a network close to Egypt’s intelligence establishment, reported that late-night sessions had resumed on Wednesday with the presence of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
The negotiations, which coincide with the second anniversary of the Hamas assault, continue under intense humanitarian pressure. Gaza’s health ministry estimates that over 67,000 people have died since Israel’s retaliatory campaign began — more than half of them women and children — while rescue teams say bombardments have yet to subside.
Trump’s proposed trip, still awaiting official confirmation from Washington, could prove pivotal. Analysts say that if the talks hold, it might become the moment Washington reasserts its influence in a conflict that has increasingly drawn in regional and global powers.