What Rubio’s quietly slipped note to Trump said hours before Gaza ceasefire

US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a breakthrough Gaza peace deal, which came in the wee hours of Thursday (IST), was preceded by a handwritten note quietly slipped to him inside the White House.

Trump had been hosting a roundtable with conservative influencers in the Blue Room on Wednesday when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, standing in the back, caught his attention. After whispering a few words, Rubio handed Trump a note on White House stationery.

Also Read: Israel, Hamas ready for peace plan Phase 1, hostage release soon: Trump

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What did the note say?

An Associated Press photographer covering the event managed to zoom in on the paper. It read: “You need to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.”

Rubio's note to Trump during a roundtable meeting on antifa in the State Dining Room at the White House. (Image credit: AP)

'They're going to need me pretty quickly'

“I was just given a note by the secretary of state saying that we’re very close to a deal on the Middle East, and they’re gonna need me pretty quickly,” Trump told the audience, before fielding a few more questions.

The urgency stemmed from negotiations underway in Egypt, where Trump’s Middle East adviser Steve Witkoff, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and other officials were deep into talks with Israel and Hamas on the US-proposed peace plan.

Also Read: PM Modi welcomes agreement on Trump's first phase of peace plan, praises PM Netanyahu's leadership

'Very proud': Trump on Israel-Hamas Gaza agreement

At 6:51 pm (EDT), which was roughly two hours after Rubio slipped him the note, Trump announced on Truth Social: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan.”

The deal, according to Trump, will see the release of all hostages “very soon” and Israeli withdrawal “to an agreed upon line.” He added: “This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

Trump had hinted earlier in the day that he might travel to the Middle East “toward the end of the week,” possibly stopping in Egypt and Gaza as negotiators closed in on a deal.

“We’re gonna get peace in the Middle East,” he told the influencers before leaving.