On October 8, President Trump chaired a meeting at the White House on Antifa — the far-left groups he accuses of inciting violent protests across several U.S. cities. The meeting was attended by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and other senior officials.
More than an hour into the session, Secretary of State Marco Rubio unexpectedly appeared and stood quietly in a corner, drawing the president’s attention. “Come in, Marco. Do we have any updates from the Middle East?” Trump asked. Rubio walked over and took the empty seat belonging to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. He replied that he had “something to report” but would wait until the press had left the room.
Rubio then picked up a pen, scribbled a short message on a note, and passed it to President Trump. A photograph taken by a reporter captured the note’s content: “Very close — you need to approve the Truth Social post soon to be the first to announce the deal.” The Secretary of State then leaned in to whisper a few words to the president.
“I just received a note from the Secretary of State saying we’re very close to a deal in the Middle East, and they’ll need me soon,” Trump told reporters moments later. “So we’ll just take one or two more questions.”
A photo captured the president’s expression as he read Rubio’s note at the White House on October 8.
Roughly two hours later, Trump posted on Truth Social announcing that Israel and Hamas had agreed on Phase One of the peace deal, focusing on the release of hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
“This means all hostages will soon be released, and Israel will pull back to the agreed boundaries. These are the first steps toward a solid, lasting, and permanent peace,” the president wrote, calling it “a great day for the Arab and Muslim world, for Israel, for its neighbors, and for the United States.”
Both Israel and Hamas later confirmed the news. Hamas urged Trump and the mediating nations to ensure Israel fully complies with the ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced he would convene a cabinet meeting on October 9 to approve the agreement.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the peace deal would be formally signed at 12 p.m. on October 9 in Cairo, Egypt.