Gaza peace deal may be imminent
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Trump reads a note handed to him by Secretary of State Rubio during a roundtable at the White House. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Trump said Wednesday that "we are very close" to a deal to end the war in Gaza and he may travel to Egypt on Saturday or Sunday if one is agreed.
The intrigue: After Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave him a note during an event at the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump said: "I was just told we are close to a deal in the Middle East and they will need me soon."
- AP photographer Evan Vucci captured a photo of the message: "Very close. We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first."
- An Israeli official confirmed to Axios that a deal could be reached on Wednesday night.
State of play: Officials from the U.S., Israel and Qatar were all feeling optimistic on Wednesday that a deal could be reached by the end of this week, several sources involved in or briefed on the ongoing talks in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt told Axios.
Why it matters: The current issues under debate — such as the terms of Israel's military withdrawal from Gaza and the identities of Palestinian prisoners who will be released — are enormously sensitive.
- Thus, the fact that officials from several countries involved in the process all believe a deal can be finalized on such a short timeline is fairly remarkable.
Driving the news: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived on Wednesday morning local time to represent the U.S. in the talks.
- Other participants include negotiating teams from Israel and Hamas, the prime minister of Qatar, and the intelligence chiefs from Turkey and Egypt.
- The goal is to announce an agreement this week and begin releasing Israeli hostages next week, according to a source familiar with the talks.
- Trump said he would probably leave the U.S. on Saturday or Sunday if he goes to Egypt. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi invited Trump earlier on Tuesday.
Behind the scenes: Two White House officials said there has been good progress in the talks and said an agreement could be reached within days.
- A senior Israeli official gave a similar status update: "There is progress. We feel cautious optimism."
- The source familiar with the talks said the Qatari mediators believe an agreement can be reached by Friday.
Yes, but: Any agreement will focus at this stage on the hostage and prisoner exchange, the initial Israeli withdrawal, and the ending of hostilities in Gaza.
- Other thorny issues like the process for disarming Hamas and the future governing structure of the enclave will be negotiated separately at a later stage.
Friction point: Rubio won't attend a foreign ministers meeting organized by France tomorrow in Paris to discuss the post-war plan for Gaza, three sources with knowledge tell Axios.
- Israel asked the Trump administration through several channels over the last 24 hours not to attend, claiming the discussions could divert from the Trump plan for ending the war and undermine the negotiations taking place in Egypt, an Israeli official said.
- Officials from Arab, Muslim and European countries are expected to attend.
- France outraged Israel by leading the charge for Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state at last month's UN General Assembly.
The latest: Rubio said "good progress has been made today" and Trump might travel to the Middle East for a signing "if the timing could work."
Go deeper: How two years of war in Gaza have changed the Middle East forever
This story has been updated with new details throughout.
