Passage of Rubio memo prompts Trump to predict Middle East peace

President Donald Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave him a memo saying the United States was “very close to a deal in the Middle East,” a revelation he made Wednesday at the White House during a panel discussion on Antifa.

“Yes, I just got a memo from the secretary of state saying we are very close to a deal in the Middle East and they will need me pretty quickly,” Trump said.

Nearly two hours later, Trump announced on Truth Social that a deal had been reached.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed the first phase of our peace plan,” he said. “This means that ALL hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its troops along an agreed line as a first step towards a strong, lasting and eternal peace.”

Trump says there’s ‘a real chance for greatness’ as Netanyahu’s White House meeting looms for Gaza talks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio whispers to President Donald Trump, who holds the note Rubio gave him, during a roundtable discussion on Antifa in the State Dining Room of the White House on Wednesday in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

“All parties will be treated fairly!” Trump added. “This is a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim world, Israel, all surrounding nations and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, who worked with us to make this historic and unprecedented event happen. Blessed are the peacemakers!”

Israeli TV Channel 12 reported that the agreement would be signed at noon local time on Thursday and that the release of the hostages and prisoners would take place on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke, saying: “With God’s help, we will bring them all home.”

HAMAS AGREES TO TRUMP’S PEACE PLAN, ENDING 2 YEARS OF WAR IN GAZA AND RETURNING HOSTAGES

Secretary of State Marco Rubio writes a memo citing a possible peace deal between Israel and Hamas before delivering it to President Donald Trump during a roundtable discussion on Antifa at the White House on Wednesday in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump holds a note given to him by Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a roundtable discussion on Antifa Wednesday at the White House in Washington, DC. (Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)

Trump said earlier Wednesday that he may visit the Middle East as peace negotiations in Gaza continue. He said he could make the trip on Sunday, adding that there was already a “large team” of negotiators there.

“I think that’s something that’s going to happen,” Trump said. “I have a good chance of that happening.”

US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Egypt to negotiate the details of a possible peace deal between Israel and Hamas in the war that began on October 7, 2023.

Later Wednesday, Trump reported that negotiations were going well.

“I was just talking with people from the Middle East, our people and other people, about a possible peace deal for the Middle East,” he said. “Peace for the Middle East. It’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it comes true, but it’s very close and they are doing very well.”

TRUMP ANNOUNCES ISRAEL AGREES TO GAZA “INITIAL WITHDRAWAL LINE” AS “3,000 YEAR CATASTROPHE” COMES TO END

The US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is in Egypt to negotiate the details of a possible peace deal between Israel and Hamas. (Getty Images)

TRUMP’S PEACE DEAL COULD END WAR IN GAZA OR NETANYAHU’S CAREER

Trump unveiled a 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza on September 29, during Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House. The plan includes granting “amnesty” to Hamas terrorists who give up weapons in favor of peace, establishing Gaza as a “de-radicalized, terrorism-free zone” and redeveloping the area so that it no longer poses a threat to its neighbors and residents.

Trump warned Hamas that if it did not accept the peace deal, the terrorists would face “massive bloodshed.”

Hamas announced Friday that it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, dead or alive, as part of Trump’s peace proposal.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Israeli and Hamas officials met Monday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Kushner – Trump’s son-in-law, credited with helping facilitate the Abraham Accords during his first administration – and Witkoff remain in Egypt to help negotiate a deal.

Emma Colton of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.