American, Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials met in secret last week to discuss the reopening of the Rafah crossing as part of a hostage and ceasefire deal between the warring sides, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing three Israeli and United States officials. According to the report, the meeting marked the first direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials since their ongoing conflict began on October 7. American officials said that the reopening of the crossing between Gaza and Egypt could be the first step toward the reconstruction of Gaza after the war is over. Earlier in the day, an Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo for talks on the ceasefire and hostage deal. The negotiations stalled after Israel targeted a Hamas military commander in a strike, but the Palestinian group insisted it is still committed to dialogue.