A Hamas delegation is traveling to Cairo to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators, following a meeting with an Israeli delegation yesterday, a Hamas source told AFP.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also due to travel to Cairo on Wednesday for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, AFP reports.

CIA Director William Burns had taken part in Tuesday’s talks with David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, which Egyptian media said were mostly “positive”. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby described the negotiations as “constructive in the right direction”.

Mediators are negotiating to reach a truce deal before Israel launches a wide-scale ground invasion of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped.

The possibility of mass civilian casualties has prompted urgent calls, even from close allies, for Israel to stop sending troops to the last major population center still free of fighting.

Israel’s key ally, the US, has warned it will not support any ground operation in Rafah without a “credible plan” to protect civilians.

Rafah is the main entry point for much-needed aid supplies and United Nations agencies have warned of an imminent humanitarian disaster if the attack takes place. Martin Griffiths, the UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said any military operation “could lead to carnage”.