Trump says another US team left for negotiations on Gaza

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that another US team left to take part in negotiations on Gaza, voicing hope for a deal.

"We'll certainly be talking about Gaza. We're in very serious negotiations," Trump said in the Oval Office alongside Mark Carney, Canada’s visiting prime minister.

"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 a release of the hostages immediately, etc. And so our team is over there now, another team just left," Trump said.

Trump said every country in the world has supported his 20-point Gaza plan that includes the release of all Israeli captives in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

"There's a real chance that we could do something," he added.

Trump reiterated that a deal on the Middle East is "very close."

"There's a chance to bring peace to the Middle East," he said.

When asked what guarantees he is giving Arab partners that Israel will not resume its offensive after the captives are released, Trump said that negotiations are still going on.

"We are going to do everything possible. We have a lot of power, and we're going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal," he added.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump met with his top national security team to discuss the progress of the Gaza negotiations before his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner departed for Egypt, Axios reported.

Citing two sources familiar with knowledge of the meeting, Axios said Kushner and Witkoff departed for Sharm Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday and will arrive Wednesday morning.

According to the report, senior US officials expressed cautious optimism about the chances of reaching a deal this week and emphasized that Kushner and Witkoff will not leave Egypt without an agreement to release the hostages and end the war.

"Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) has done an excellent job. The military pressure was critical to make Hamas more pragmatic. But now Bibi must understand that the time for a deal has come," a senior US official was quoted.

Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles were among officials who attended the meeting, one source said.

According to the source, Witkoff and Kushner briefed participants about the status of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which began Monday, and on the latest messages received from the Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators.