Trump: Gaza Deal Near, Erdogan Assisted Me in Negotiations

President Donald Trump says he's close to securing a Gaza peace deal, telling Axios on Saturday that he'll push to finalize the agreement in the coming days. His public statements and behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts appear to have brought Israel and Hamas closer to ending the war that started with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel.

Trump revealed he spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, delivering a blunt message: "I told Bibi: This is your chance to achieve victory, and he agreed. He has to agree. He has no choice. With me, you have to agree."

The pressure seems to be working. Israel's military shifted Gaza operations to defensive mode Saturday morning and halted airstrikes except those needed to protect troops. This came after Trump called Friday for Israel to stop its air campaign and enter talks with Hamas to complete the deal.

Netanyahu's office confirmed it suspended the Israeli offensive "in preparation for immediate implementation of the first phase of Trump's plan, which involves the immediate release of all hostages."

Behind the scenes, Trump's team is moving fast. US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Egypt Saturday to work out technical details for the hostage release and discuss what the White House calls a "permanent peace agreement."

Trump said he found Netanyahu surprisingly cooperative during their Friday phone call, even though his team warned the Israeli leader might resist. "We found broad acceptance of our plan – all countries in the world support it, Bibi supports it, and Hamas has come a long way and wants to implement it. Now we just need to complete it," Trump said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan played a key role in the breakthrough. Trump praised him as "very helpful" in pressuring Hamas to move forward with hostage releases. "Erdogan helped a lot. He's a strong man, but he's my friend and was great," Trump said.

According to a US official, Trump called Erdogan Friday before Hamas responded to the proposal, asking him to ensure the group wouldn't reject the deal. Trump's message was direct: "I've done a lot for you, and now I need you to do this for me."

The timing matters for Trump, who wants an early foreign policy win. A Gaza ceasefire would give him leverage in future Middle East negotiations and show his dealmaking approach can work where previous administrations struggled. For investors, a successful agreement could stabilize regional markets and potentially ease oil price volatility that often spikes during Middle East conflicts.

But the deal still needs final details worked out. The first phase focuses on hostage releases, but longer-term arrangements for Gaza's governance and reconstruction remain unclear. Hamas still controls parts of Gaza despite 15 months of Israeli military operations, and both sides have broken previous ceasefires.