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The US President said he could depart for Egypt as soon as Saturday, either before the release of hostages or shortly afterwards. "I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East," he said as he ended his remarks.
US President Donald Trump points at the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 9, 2025 03:40 IST
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he may travel to Egypt this weekend as top officials from US and Qatar join talks to to finalise a hostages-for-ceasefire agreement, adding that a deal to end the Gaza war was "very close."
Speaking at the White House, Trump said negotiators had informed that the agreement was nearing completion. "I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’re going to need me pretty quickly," he told reporters.
The president said he could depart for Egypt as soon as Saturday, either before the release of hostages or shortly afterwards. "I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East," he said as he ended his remarks.
Negotiators from the United States, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar have been in Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh since Monday to finalise the framework for the ceasefire and a large-scale hostage-prisoner swap.
Trump’s statement comes after his son-in-law and special envoy Jared Kushner, adviser Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer -- a close aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- arrive in Egypt to take part in the negotiations.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, whose country has played a crucial mediating role, also joined the discussions, Reuters reported.
HAMAS SUBMITS LISTS FOR HOSTAGE-PRISONER SWAP
According to Palestinian officials, Hamas on Wednesday submitted lists of hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be freed as part of the proposed exchange with Israel.
The group said it remained optimistic about the progress of the talks, though major issues still needed to be resolved -- including the timeline for Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza and the governance of the region once the war ends.
Hamas insists any withdrawal must be tied to a clear timeline and accompanied by international guarantees. It has so far rejected Israel’s demand that it disarm while Israeli forces remain on Palestinian territory.
ISRAEL SCALES BACK OFFENSIVE UNDER PRESSURE
Within Gaza, Israel has scaled back its military operations following Washington’s push for calm, though airstrikes have not ceased entirely. The Israeli military said its forces had killed several militants in Gaza City who were allegedly planning attacks on Israeli troops.
Gaza health authorities reported eight deaths from Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours -- the lowest daily toll in weeks. Previously, daily casualties had been roughly ten times higher amid Israel’s offensive on the densely populated city.
Trump’s proposal includes a 20-point framework and envisions an international body -- involving former British Prime Minister Tony Blair -- to oversee Gaza’s post-war transition. However, Arab states insist the plan must lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, which has been repeatedly rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Hamas, for its part, has said it would hand over governance of Gaza only to a Palestinian technocratic administration backed by Arab and Muslim countries. It has rejected any form of foreign rule or involvement by Blair.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Oct 9, 2025
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