US President Donald Trump has said that he may go to the Middle East at the end of this week as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is "very close".
"I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually. And we'll see, but there is a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well," Mr Trump told reporters during an event at the White House.
"Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas, and it seems to be going well. So, we'll let you know, if that's the case, we'll be leaving probably on Sunday, maybe on Saturday."
Mr Trump said he had just come off the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had just joined discussions in Egypt.
"'Peace for the Middle East,' that's a beautiful phrase, and we hope it's going to come true, but it's very close, and they're doing very well," Mr Trump added.
"We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they're, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also. But it's something I think that will happen."
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had received "encouraging" signs and hailed the support of Mr Trump, whose 20-point peace proposal forms the basis of the talks.
Hamas too expressed "optimism" over the indirect discussions with its foe Israel.
Mr Trump's plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territory.
Prisoner, detainees and hostage lists exchanged - Hamas
A senior Hamas official said that negotiators from his group and Israel have exchanged lists of prisoners, detainees and hostages who would be released should a deal be reached during ongoing ceasefire talks in Egypt.
Taher Al-Nounou also said Hamas expressed optimism about reaching a deal, stating that the group has demonstrated the necessary positivity.
It comes as Qatar's prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war.
Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump last month.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, Trump's special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are all due to attend the talks.
"There's a real chance that we could do something," Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office yesterday, adding that US negotiators were also involved in the talks.
"I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East. It's something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want the release of the hostages immediately."
Mr Trump said the United States would do "everything possible to make sure everyone adheres to the deal" if Hamas and Israel do agree on a ceasefire.
The talks came as Israel commemorated the second anniversary of Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war.
Read more:
Most Irish activists return after Israeli detention
Israeli forces shell Gaza on war anniversary
Latest Middle East stories
At the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, Hamas-led militants launched the deadliest attack on Israel in the country's history, sparking a huge retaliatory offensive in Gaza.
It resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 251 people hostage into Gaza, of whom 47 remain captive, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.
Global pressure to end the war has escalated, with much of Gaza flattened, a UN-declared famine unfolding and Israeli hostage families still longing for their loved ones' return.
A UN probe accused last month Israel of genocide in Gaza while rights groups have accused Hamas of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 7 October attack. Both sides reject the allegations.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters joined pro-Palestinian mass demonstrations in cities across the world last weekend, calling for an immediate end to the war, including in Italy, Spain, Ireland and Britain.
Demonstrators in the Netherlands called for their government to recognise a Palestinian state, while tens of thousands in Britain defied Prime Minister Keir Starmer's calls to skip rallies, holding vigils and gatherings on the 7 October anniversary.
'Guarantees'
Hamas's top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said the group wants "guarantees from President Trump and the sponsor countries that the war will end once and for all".
Mr Trump's plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages, Hamas's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The plan received positive responses from both Israel and Hamas and prompted indirect talks in Egypt since Monday.
A Palestinian source close to the Hamas negotiating team said Tuesday's session included Hamas discussing "the initial maps presented by the Israeli side regarding the withdrawal of troops as well as the mechanism and timetable for the hostage-prisoner exchange".
US representatives Mr Witkoff and Mr Kushner were expected to arrive in Egypt today, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, after they were initially expected to arrive last weekend.
"The primary guarantee of success at this stage is US President Trump himself... even if it comes to a point to require him imposing a vision," he said.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 67,160 people, according to the health ministry in the Palestinian territory, figures the United Nations considers credible.
The data does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but indicates that over half of the dead are women and children.
