Trump says he is optimistic about a Gaza deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two years after the Gaza conflict erupted, President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged U.S. support for Gaza security guarantees and said he believes a deal is close to being completed for the remaining hostages. Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said, "I think there's a possibility that we could have peace in the Middle East" beyond just Gaza. A U.S. official said U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who was Trump's Middle East envoy during his first term, were headed to Egypt on Tuesday to join the negotiations there.