US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he might visit the Middle East later this week, as mediators in Egypt reported “encouraging” progress towards a ceasefire deal to end the Gaza war.
Trump, whose 20-point peace plan forms the foundation of the discussions in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh resort, said an agreement between Israel and Hamas was “very close”.
“Negotiations are going very well,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I may travel there towards the end of the week, perhaps on Sunday,” he added, noting that he would “most likely” visit Egypt but might also consider going to Gaza.
“‘Peace for the Middle East’—that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it comes true,” he remarked.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has invited Trump to visit if a deal is reached, described the talks as “encouraging”. Hamas also expressed optimism over the indirect negotiations with Israel.
Both sides have reportedly responded positively to Trump’s proposal, which includes a ceasefire, the release of hostages held in Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Al-Qahera News, a media outlet close to Egyptian intelligence, reported that Wednesday evening’s negotiation sessions had begun, while state-linked outlets broadcast footage of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff arriving at the venue.
In southern Gaza’s Al-Mawasi area, residents waited anxiously for news. “We want this war to end as soon as possible,” said 50-year-old Mohammed Zamlot, who was displaced from northern Gaza. “We’re following every update about the negotiations and the ceasefire.”
Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP from Sharm El-Sheikh that mediators were working hard to remove obstacles to the ceasefire’s implementation and that “a spirit of optimism prevails.”
Hamas has presented a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants Israel to release during the first stage of the truce “in line with the agreed criteria and numbers,” Nunu said. In return, Hamas is expected to free the remaining 47 hostages—both living and deceased—taken during its 7 October 2023 assault on Israel, which triggered the conflict.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin were also expected at the talks. Hamas said delegations from Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, both of which hold hostages, would join as well.
The discussions took place on the second anniversary of the Hamas attack that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures cited by AFP. Militants abducted 251 people, 47 of whom remain in Gaza, including 25 confirmed dead.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,183 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry—figures the United Nations considers credible. The data suggest that more than half of the victims are women and children.
Despite the talks, Gaza’s civil defence agency said bombardments continued. An AFP reporter near the Israeli-Gaza border also heard several explosions on Wednesday morning.
Global pressure for an end to the war has increased, as much of Gaza lies in ruins, famine spreads, and Israeli families continue to await the return of their loved ones.
In Israel, citizens marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks with vigils and music, while in Gaza, residents expressed desperation for peace after months of devastation, disrupted schooling, and loss.
A recent UN inquiry accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, while human rights groups have accused Hamas of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the October 7 assault—claims both parties deny.
A key sticking point in the negotiations concerns the list of Palestinian prisoners Hamas wants released, including high-profile Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, imprisoned since 2002 and serving a life sentence for murder.
Though Israel considers him a terrorist, Barghouti remains one of the most popular Palestinian figures and is often described as the “Palestinian Mandela.”
Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said the group seeks “guarantees from President Trump and other mediating nations that the war will end permanently.”
A Palestinian source close to the talks revealed that Tuesday’s discussions focused on “initial maps submitted by Israel showing troop withdrawal plans and the mechanism and timetable for the hostage-prisoner exchange.”
“Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas—and it appears to be progressing well,” Trump concluded.