Donald Trump has stated that he may travel to the Middle East this weekend, adding that indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are very close to an agreement and that, according to him, they are going very well.
"It's very close, they're going very well... I think it's going to happen, there's a good chance it's going to happen. I could be there by the end of the week. There's a good chance, the negotiations are going very well," Trump told reporters.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi - who has invited Trump to visit Egypt if a deal is reached - said the signs from the talks were "encouraging", while Hamas also expressed "optimism" about indirect discussions with Israel, Agence France-Presse reports.
Al-Qahera News, a media outlet close to Egyptian intelligence services, reported that evening sessions for Wednesday's talks had begun.
Trump said he had just spoken on the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, had arrived to take part in discussions in Egypt, The Guardian writes.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin also attended. Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, a close aide to Benjamin Netanyahu, is also present.
The participation of senior officials from the three countries brought more hope that this round of talks could lead to an agreement, even though there are still major differences between the parties.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said there was "great progress" in the negotiations and that a ceasefire would be declared if they were successful.
Hamas has demanded international guarantees that Israel will not resume bombing Gaza after the group releases all remaining hostages, alive and dead.
Among the points still to be negotiated are demands that Hamas disarm, the manner and timing of Israeli troops' withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the composition of an international body expected to govern Gaza.
Also, logistical details for a prisoner exchange with hostages still need to be determined, and Hamas has handed over to mediators a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants released from Israeli jails.