President Donald Trump said there is a "very good chance" of a ceasefire in Gaza this week or next, after meeting Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for the second time in two days to discuss the situation.
"We have a chance this week or next week," Trump told reporters.
"I will tell you we're getting very close to a deal. I don't know if it's secret or not secret, but doesn't matter to me," Trump said during a meeting with African leaders. "We want to have a ceasefire, we want to have peace, we want to get the hostages back, and I think we're close to doing it."
Asked about realistic prospects for a ceasefire this week, Trump offered cautious optimism.
"I think we have a chance this week or next week. Not definitely," he said. "But there's a very good chance that we will have a settlement and agreement of some kind this week and maybe next week, if not."
The comments follow a statement Tuesday by US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, who expressed hope for a 60-day ceasefire agreement.
"We are hopeful that by the end of this week, we will have an agreement that will bring us into a 60-day ceasefire," Witkoff said following progress in proximity talks.
The Israeli army has killed nearly 57,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.
Trump said that he will consider sending Patriot missiles to Ukraine, which he has previously said the country will need for its defenses.
Earlier this week, Trump said the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine, primarily defensive ones, to help the war-torn country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances.
Trump backed the Internal Revenue Service decision that houses of worship can endorse political candidates to their congregations without risking losing their status as tax-exempt nonprofits.
"I love the fact that churches could endorse a political candidate," Trump told reporters at the White House. "If somebody of faith wants to endorse, I think it's something that I'd like to hear."
