US President Donald Trump has said that Hamas was agreeing to "very important" points in his Gaza peace plan, expressing optimism that a deal to end the war could soon be reached.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump added he was "pretty sure" a Gaza deal was possible as delegations from Hamas and Israel began indirect talks in Egypt under his 20-point ceasefire proposal.
"I have red lines. If certain things aren’t met, we’re not going to do it," he said when asked whether disarmament by Hamas was one of his conditions.
"But I think we’re doing very well, and I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important."
Trump said he believed the negotiations were "going to have a deal", adding that it was "a hard thing for me to say that when for years and years they’ve been trying to have a deal."
He described the progress as "tremendous" and said, "We’re going to have a Gaza deal, I’m pretty sure, yeah."
He dismissed reports that he had accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being negative about the talks, saying Netanyahu had been "very positive about the deal."
Indirect talks in Egypt
Egyptian media reported that indirect discussions between Palestinian and Israeli delegations began in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday to set conditions for a ceasefire and a mechanism for prisoner exchanges, in line with Trump’s plan.
Cairo News Channel cited Egyptian sources as saying that Qatari and Egyptian mediators were making "major efforts" to finalise a framework for the release of hostages and prisoners.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported that the Israeli delegation arrived in Egypt without senior leadership participation.
Officials said if no progress was made within days, continued negotiations would be "unlikely."
The White House confirmed that Middle East envoy Steven Whitkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner were travelling to Egypt.
Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the administration aimed to "move quickly" and that technical teams were reviewing hostage and prisoner lists.
