Mid-ranking Israeli team to head to Cairo to assess Hamas position

A team of mid-level Israeli officials will travel to Cairo in the coming hours to assess whether Hamas can be persuaded to shift on its latest ceasefire draft, a senior Israeli official told Reuters.

The official also reiterated that the current Hamas proposal was unacceptable to Israel.

"This delegation is made up of mid-level envoys. Were there a credible deal in the offing, the principals would be heading the delegation," the official said, referring to the senior Mossad and Shin Bet officials who are leading the Israeli side.

The Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel's demonstrated determination to move against Rafah had pushed Hamas into hastily setting out its latest proposal.

Earlier, Egypt's state-aligned Al-Qahera News TV said Cairo was hosting delegations from Qatar, the US, and Hamas in order to reach a comprehensive truce in Gaza.

Reporting by Reuters.