WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a new American delegation has departed to join negotiations in Egypt aimed at securing a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange, expressing optimism that a breakthrough could lead to peace across the Middle East.

"We'll certainly be talking about Gaza. We're in very serious negotiations," Trump said during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office.

"I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East — something even beyond the Gaza situation. We want a release of the hostages immediately, etc. And so our team is over there now, another team just left," he said.

The president reaffirmed that nearly all countries have endorsed his 20-point Gaza plan, which calls for the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas, and the rebuilding of Gaza.

"There's a real chance that we could do something," Trump said, adding that negotiations were “very close” to achieving a final deal.

When asked what guarantees Washington could offer Arab partners to ensure Israel would not resume its military operations after the hostage release, Trump said discussions were still ongoing.

"We are going to do everything possible. We have a lot of power, and we're going to do everything possible to make sure everybody adheres to the deal," he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump met with his top national security team to review progress on the Gaza talks before special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner departed for Egypt, according to a report by Axios.

Citing sources familiar with the meeting, Axios said Kushner and Witkoff left Washington on Tuesday for Sharm el-Sheikh, where they are expected to arrive Wednesday morning.

Senior US officials reportedly expressed cautious optimism that an agreement could be reached this week and emphasized that Kushner and Witkoff "will not leave Egypt without an agreement" on the release of hostages and an end to the war.

“Bibi (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) has done an excellent job. The military pressure was critical to make Hamas more pragmatic. But now Bibi must understand that the time for a deal has come,” one senior US official was quoted as saying.

Trump was joined at the Oval Office meeting by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, among others.

According to Axios, Witkoff and Kushner briefed participants on the progress of the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which began Monday, as well as the latest messages from Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators. — Agencies