President Donald Trump is set to depart for the Middle East on Friday, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, following his announcement that Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement to end the fighting in Gaza and secure the release of all hostages.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Trump was handed an update indicating that negotiators were “very close” to finalizing the long-awaited deal between the two sides.
“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’ll get to need me pretty quickly,” Trump told reporters from the White House podium.
The note, according to the Associated Press, read: “We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce the deal first.”
Moments later, Trump told reporters that he “had to go now to solve things in the Middle East.”
Leavitt later clarified in a statement that the president would likely head to the region after completing his “routine yearly check-up” on Friday, as negotiations continue toward finalizing the ceasefire and hostage release arrangement.
Speaking from the White House, Trump said the deal was “very close,” noting that he might leave for the Middle East on Shabbos. He said he had just finished speaking with his negotiating team, which has been meeting in Egypt to finalize the remaining details.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that significant progress had been made, telling reporters that talks were “advancing by the hour” and adding that he, too, “may be heading to the region soon.”
An American official told The Jerusalem Post that Washington remains confident the deal will be completed imminently, with all parties aiming to have the final agreement ready by Friday.
Separately, a senior White House source told Sky News Arabia that “the technical negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh have reached a decisive stage.”
Another U.S. official told the same outlet that negotiators are “optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement soon.”
Trump’s personal envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are currently in Sharm el-Sheikh and have indicated that they plan to stay there until the agreement is officially signed.
{Matzav.com}
