US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may visit the Middle East at the end of this week, as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “very close.”
“I might go towards the end of the week, maybe Sunday actually,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “And we’ll see, but there’s a very good chance. The negotiations are progressing very well.”
Meanwhile, the most promising effort so far to end the Gaza war got a boost when senior officials from Israel and the United States joined negotiations on Wednesday after Hamas handed over its lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners to be released in an exchange.
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As President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan appears closer than any previous attempt to end the war, delegations are increasing their presence at indirect talks, launched Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived and began participating in the talks, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.
Qatar’s longtime mediator Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also joined the discussions, according to Egyptian sources.
Tukey says negotiations are progressing
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said negotiations brokered between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas had made “a lot of progress” and that a ceasefire would be declared if they produced a positive outcome.
Trump also expressed optimism about progress toward a deal on Tuesday, and European, Arab and other states will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss the postwar transition in Gaza, with Washington likely represented, diplomatic sources said.
But crucial details still need to be ironed out, including the timeline, the post-war administration of the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.
Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the enclave razed 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 authorities, with 20 of the 48 hostages still held believed to be alive.
Hamas said it had handed over its lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners to be exchanged in an exchange, and was optimistic about the negotiations so far.
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The list of Palestinians Hamas wants to release is expected to include some of the most important prisoners ever imprisoned by Israel, whose release was prohibited under previous ceasefires.
According to a Palestinian source close to the negotiations, the list includes Marwan al-Barghouti, leader of the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving multiple life sentences for their involvement in attacks that killed Israelis.
Hamas says indirect negotiations have focused so far on three issues: ending 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 weapons, a demand the Palestinian source said Hamas would reject as long as Israeli troops occupied Palestinian land.
Two sources close to the negotiations confirmed that sticking points included the Israeli withdrawal mechanism, with Hamas seeking a clear timetable linked to the release of hostages and guarantees of a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Israel slows down its offensive
In Gaza, Israel scaled back its military campaign at Trump’s request, but it has not completely stopped its strikes. The Israeli military said its forces killed several militants in Gaza City, Gaza’s main urban center, who it said were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers.
Medical authorities in Gaza reported eight people killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours, the lowest death toll in weeks. The daily death toll has been about 10 times higher over the past month as Israeli forces advance on Gaza City.
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“We hope from God that a ceasefire will take place as soon as possible, because people can no longer bear the suffering,” said Jehad al-Shagnobi, whose house was destroyed in Gaza’s Sabra neighborhood.
Another participant in the talks was Turkish spymaster Ibrahim Kalin, Egyptian sources said. This reflects the growing role of Turkey, a NATO member with close contacts with Hamas. President Recep 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 the postwar administration of Gaza. Arab countries that support the project say it must lead to the independence of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.
There is no clear indication who will rule Gaza once the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, Western and Arab states have ruled out any role for Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since ousting its Palestinian rivals in 2007.
Hamas has said it will relinquish governance of Gaza solely to a technocratic Palestinian government overseen by the Palestinian Authority and supported by Arab and Muslim countries. He rejects any role of Blair or foreign domination in Gaza.
Global outrage grew against the Israeli attack. Several human rights experts, academics and a UN investigation say this amounts to genocide. Israel describes its actions as self-defense after the Hamas attack in 2023.
