Abu Mazen heading to Cairo - as is Benjamin Netanyahu

Both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA Chairman Abu Mazen are reportedly heading to Cairo today (Tuesday), according to Reuters and Israel Hayom. These trips are likely related to the brewing hostage deal.

According to the report, Abu Mazen is set to be in talks in Cairo at the same time as Turkish President Recep Erdogan, with a focus on an Egyptian proposal for running the Gaza Strip via a committee, in which the PA would be in charge of administrating Rafah crossing.

If Netanyahu is indeed heading to Cairo, this would be the first time he left the country for the purpose of being involved in the hostage negotiations, which have been ongoing since the war began.

Netanyahu has been often kept negotiation teams on a short leash, withdrawing them and often restricting their mandate. His decision to go to Cairo personally suggests that reports of a deal being in reach may indeed be broadly accurate.