Sawt Falasteen - Trump heads on major Middle East tour

Air Force One took off on a journey that will include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- and possibly talks in Turkey on the Ukraine war.

Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will hang heavy over the first major tour of Trump's second term -- but in one sign of progress, US-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander was handed over to the Red Cross just as the president boarded his plane.

"It's big news," Trump said at the White House shortly before departing. "He's coming home to his parents, which is really great news. They thought he was dead."

Trump has in recent weeks seemed to cool on his efforts to end the Gaza war -- despite boasting before taking office that he would be able to bring the conflict to a swift end.

He has also been increasingly at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Gaza, as well as over strikes on Yemen's Huthi rebels and on how to handle Iran's nuclear program.

Trump said there were "very good things happening" on talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear ambitions -- though he added that Iran "can't have a nuclear weapon."

- Air Force One 'gift' -

The US president said that he hoped for more developments on Gaza during his trip to the Gulf, noting that his tour involved "three primary countries" in the region.

"I hope that we're going to have other hostages released too," he said when asked if he expected further progress towards a ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

Hamas asked Trump to "continue efforts" to end the war after freeing hostage Alexander, while Netanyahu said he would send mediators to Qatar on Tuesday for further negotiations.

Qatar has played a key role as a middleman in talks on ending the war -- but it also took a major role in a new ethics row erupting before Trump's departure.

The oil-rich state plans to donate a new Air Force One plane to Trump after he complained that replacements for the aging current aircraft -- including the one he is traveling on Monday -- were taking too long.

When he asked if the proposed use of a foreign-donated plane would raise ethical and security questions, Trump said Monday it would be "stupid" not to accept such a gift.

He also said he could change his plans and fly to Istanbul on Thursday if talks between Russia and Ukraine happen there and make progress.

"I don't know where I'm going to be at that particular point, I'll be someplace in the Middle East. But I would, if I thought it would be helpful," Trump told reporters Monday.

Trump added that he thought both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin could attend -- raising the prospect of a landmark summit.

- 'Happy place' -

Trump's Middle East tour will start in Saudi Arabia -- the same place he began his debut overseas trip in his first term in 2017, and memorably posed over a glowing orb with the leaders of Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

But on that occasion he also visited Israel, whereas this time it is not on the itinerary.

His decision to once more bypass traditional Western allies to visit the oil-rich Gulf states underscores their pivotal geopolitical role -- as well as his own business ties there.

"It's hard for me to escape the idea that President Trump is going to the Gulf because this is his happy place," said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Riyadh, Doha and Abu Dhabi are expected to pull out all the stops for Trump, who is making his first major overseas trip after briefly attending the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome.

The wealthy Arab states will mix pomp and ceremony for the 78-year-old billionaire with deals that could span defense, aviation, energy and artificial intelligence.

C.Hamad--SF-PST