The US says its optimistic about Gaza ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel set resume in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Wednesday.
All five delegations participating in ceasefire talks on Tuesday - Qatar, the US, Egypt, Hamas and Israel - reacted positively to the resumption of negotiations, with meetings expected to continue later on Wednesday, sources revealed to Reuters.
CIA Director Bill Burns is to travel from Cairo to Israel on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other Israeli officials.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said that Hamas have presented a revised proposal, which was rejected on Monday by Israel, and that remaining gaps can be "absolutely closed".
Several countries, including Qatar, have slammed the Israeli military's moves into Rafah, calling for the international community to stop "this deadly escalation" of the war and "genocide" in Gaza's southernmost city, where over 1.4 million Palestinians are residing, mostly due to displacement.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned that if Israel's military aggression continued in Rafah, there would be no truce agreement.
