Trump considers middle east visit, cites hostage deal as his achievement

US President, Donald Trump, on Tuesday, announced that he is considering visiting the Middle East but indicated that the trip would not occur immediately.

Speaking to reporters on his second day in office, Trump celebrated his administration’s role in brokering a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas which came into effect on Sunday.

“We’re thinking about going to the Middle East — not yet, ”Trump said, pointing out what he described as a major achievement of his administration: “We have a thing called ‘the hostages are coming back’ going on right now.”

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed plans to visit Gaza to oversee the implementation of the three-phase accord.

The deal has been credited by Arab diplomats as a result of Trump’s and Witkoff’s last-minute negotiations in Qatar and Israel, which reportedly pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize the agreement.

The first stage of the framework calls for a temporary ceasefire, the release of 33 Israeli hostages and the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Three Israeli hostages were released on Sunday, marking the beginning of the process.

Trump claimed that his January 20 inauguration deadline was vital in reaching the agreement.

“If I weren’t here, they wouldn’t be back ever,” he asserted, contrasting his administration’s efforts with those of his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Trump also commented on the condition of some hostages, specifically mentioning Emily Damari, who was released on Sunday but suffered injuries during the October 7 Hamas attack.

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order rescinding sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

He also signaled intentions to pursue a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, though such a deal would require significant concessions to the Palestinians.

While Trump has taken credit for the ceasefire and hostage deal, he acknowledged the ongoing challenges.

Ninety-one hostages remain in Gaza, including the bodies of 34 individuals confirmed dead. Trump’s efforts to stabilize the region will likely face scrutiny as negotiations progress in the coming weeks.