Donald Trump poised for Middle East visit to officially sign Gaza peace deal

Donald Trump is poised to visit the Middle East to celebrate the signing of a deal for peace in Gaza.

Speaking at a televised Cabinet meeting, the US President said he was "looking at" travelling to Egypt for an official signing ceremony for phase one of the agreement.

And he said he had been asked to address the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, and would like to do so.

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Trump said he believed the deal had created "a lasting peace. Hopefully an everlasting peace."

He went on: "We've secured the release of all of the remaining hostages. They should be released on Monday or Tuesday. Getting them is a complicated process. I'd rather not tell you what they have to do to get them. They're in places you don't want to be. But we are getting the hostages back on Monday or Tuesday."

He said he was going to "try to make a trip over" to Egypt to sign the deal officially.

"The amazing thing is all the countries over there, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the rich ones, the not so rich ones, they've all come together. Something which is amazing really...probably the best relationships they've ever had.

"It's been really something incredible, nobody thought it was possible to get it done."

He added: "The whole thing has to stop and we're going to see to it. Gaza is going to be slowly redone.

"You have tremendous wealth in that part of the world by certain countries, and a small part of that, what they make, will do wonders for Gaza. And I think you're going to see certain countries stepping up, putting up a lot of money and taking care of things."

Asked whether he planned to address the Knesset, he said he'd been invited to and “If they would like me to, I will do it.”

He claimed, falsely, that he would be the first US President to do so. Former president George W. Bush spoke before the parliamentary body in May 2008.

Secretary of Sate Marco Rubio said Trump's talks with Muslim leaders at UN proved to be a ‘turning point’ in sealing Gaza deal

Trump last month gathered with the leaders of eight Arab or predominantly Muslim countries on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly to discuss strategy on ending the Israel-Hamas conflict and a plan for post-war Gaza.

Days after that meeting, Trump met at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the plan and the two leaders agreed to Trump’s 20-point proposal to end the war.

Rubio noted that Trump’s negotiators then stepped up their efforts through intermediaries in Qatar and Egypt to get Hamas on board. Trump, meanwhile, held “extraordinary” phone calls and meetings with world leaders “that required a high degree of intensity and commitment” to get the deal to the finish line.

“I think what’s important to understand is that yesterday what happened was really a human story,” Rubio said. He added, “Perhaps the entire story will be told about the events of yesterday. But, suffice it to say, it’s not an exaggeration, none of it would have been possible without the president of the United States being involved.”