Trump hints that a Middle East deal is “very close” as senior figures from the US and Israel join peace talks

So far promising efforts to end the war in Gaza were strengthened with senior figures from Israel and the United States joining negotiations on Wednesday after Hamas handed over lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners scheduled to be released in a swap deal.

Although US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan appears closer than any previous attempt to stop the war, delegations strengthened their presence in the indirect talks, which began on Monday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

In an optimistic assessment, Trump said that an agreement was “very close” and that he may travel to the Middle East this weekend, and possibly leave on Saturday, if an agreement is reached.

He said at the beginning of an event at the White House: “I think this is something that will happen, and I have a good chance of it happening,” indicating the possibility of achieving a breakthrough, after his team in Egypt informed him of the developments.

Israeli and Palestinian sources said that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, who is close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, arrived and began participating in the negotiations.

Qatar’s long-time mediator Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani also joined the discussions, according to Egyptian sources.

Rubio is more cautious

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a more cautious view than his boss.

Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill before Trump spoke, Rubio said events were “moving in a good direction, but there is still some work to be done. We’ve been here before in the past and we’ve been disappointed.”

Diplomatic sources said that in parallel with the Sharm El-Sheikh talks, Arab countries and other countries will meet in Paris on Thursday to discuss the transitional phase in Gaza after the war, and Washington will likely be represented there.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas had achieved “significant progress” and that a ceasefire would be declared if they reached a positive result.

But crucial details have yet to be clarified, including the timing, post-war management of the Gaza Strip and the fate of Hamas.

Gaza authorities say more than 67,000 people have been killed and much of the Strip has been leveled since Israel began its military response to the attack by the Palestinian armed group two years ago. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 hostages were taken to Gaza, according to Israeli officials, and 20 of the 48 hostages held are believed to still be alive.

Hamas said it had handed over its lists of Palestinian hostages and prisoners to be exchanged in a swap, and expressed optimism about the talks so far.

The list of Palestinians that Hamas wants to release is expected to include some of the most prominent prisoners ever imprisoned by Israel, whose release was prohibited in previous ceasefire agreements.

According to a Palestinian source close to the talks, the list includes Marwan Barghouti, a leader in the Fatah movement, and Ahmed Saadat, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Both are serving several life sentences for their involvement in attacks that resulted in the deaths of Israelis.

Hamas says that the indirect negotiations have so far focused on three issues: stopping the conflict, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, and an exchange agreement.

The movement has so far refused to discuss Israel’s demand that Hamas give up its weapons, which the Palestinian source said Hamas will reject as long as Israeli forces occupy Palestinian territories.

Two sources familiar with the talks confirmed that the sticking points include the Israeli withdrawal mechanism, as Hamas seeks a clear timetable linked to the release of the hostages and guarantees of the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Israeli strikes continue

Inside Gaza, Israel reduced its military campaign at Trump’s request, but did not stop the strikes completely. The Israeli army said that its forces killed a number of activists in Gaza City, the main urban center of the Strip, who it said were on their way to attack Israeli soldiers.

Medical authorities in Gaza announced that eight people were killed in Israeli raids during the past 24 hours, the lowest toll in weeks. The daily death toll has increased nearly tenfold over the past month as Israeli forces advance into Gaza City.

Jihad Al-Shajnoubi, whose house was destroyed in the Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, said, “We hope to God that a ceasefire will be achieved as soon as possible because people can no longer bear the suffering.”

Egyptian sources said that one of the other participants in the talks was Turkish spy chief Ibrahim Kalin. This indicates the growing role of Turkey, a NATO member with close contacts with Hamas. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Trump asked Türkiye to help convince Hamas to accept the agreement.

Sticking points

Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump and including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to play a role in managing Gaza after the war. Arab countries that support the plan say it should lead to the eventual independence of a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never happen.

There is no clear indication of who will rule Gaza when the war ends. Netanyahu, Trump, and Western and Arab countries ruled out that Hamas would have any role.

Hamas said that it would not relinquish rule of Gaza except to a technocratic Palestinian government supervised by the Palestinian Authority and supported by Arab and Islamic countries. It rejects any role for Blair or foreign rule of Gaza.

Global anger escalated against the Israeli attack. Many human rights experts, scholars and a UN investigation say this amounts to genocide. Israel describes its actions as self-defense after a 2023 Hamas attack.