President Trump said Wednesday that "we are very close" to a deal to end the war in Gaza and he may travel to Egypt on Saturday or Sunday if one is agreed.

State of play: Officials from the U.S., Israel and Qatar are all feeling optimistic that a deal to end the war in Gaza could be reached this week, several sources involved in or briefed on the ongoing talks in Sharm el-Sheikh Egypt tell Axios.

Why it matters: The current issues under debate — such as the terms of Israel's military withdrawal from Gaza and the identities of Palestinian prisoners who will be released — are enormously sensitive. • Thus, the fact that officials from several countries involved in the process all believe a deal can be finalized on such a short timeline is fairly remarkable.

Driving the news: Steve Witkof

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