US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will not leave Egypt without a deal securing the release of the 48 hostages who are still held captive in Gaza, Axios correspondent Barak Ravid reported, citing senior Trump Administration officials.
According to the report, US President Donald Trump held a briefing with Witkoff and Kushner and top national security officials today (Tuesday), ahead of the pair's departure for ceasefire talks in Egypt. The administration officials were optimistic about the chances for a deal.
An American official praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said that recent diplomatic progress was possible thanks to Israel's military pressure on Hamas.
“Bibi did an excellent job. The military pressure was critical to make Hamas more pragmatic. But now Bibi must understand that it’s time for a deal," the official stated.
The praise for the Israeli premier stands in contrast to how Netanyahu was described by Trump Administration officials who spoke to Ravid last week and claimed that Netanyahu had to be pressured into accepting the peace plan that President Trump unveiled last week.
Earlier today, President Trump stated that “we are very close to making a deal on the Middle East that will bring peace to the Middle East.”
“I think there’s a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East, something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately,” he said during a press conference at the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
"So our team is over there now. Another team just left, and literally every other country in the world has supported the plan,” he added in reference to the departure of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for ceasefire talks in Egypt. “There’s a real chance that we could do something.”