CIA Director William Burns arrived in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Friday for meetings about the conflict in Gaza, an Egyptian security source and three sources at Cairo airport told Reuters.
Egypt, along with Qatar and the United States, has been leading efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas to broker a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.
Burns has been to the region several times in recent weeks as efforts to achieve a hostage deal continue.
The CIA declined to comment, reflecting its policy of not disclosing the director's travel.
A Hamas official later confirmed to Reuters that a delegation from the organization will visit Cairo on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, Egyptian officials told The Wall Street Journal that Israel gave Hamas a week to agree to a ceasefire deal, or an invasion of Rafah will begin.
The Egyptian officials said that Hamas is seeking a long-term truce and guarantees from the US that a ceasefire will be respected by Israel.
Also on Friday, Al Akhbar newspaper reported that following Hamas' failure to respond on Thursday night to the Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, the Egyptian and Qatari brokers requested additional time before a final answer is received.
According to the report, the brokers received clear signs that Hamas' response will almost certainly be negative, and that the terror group will not accept the existing plan.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)