The visit to Cairo by Ismail Haniyeh came a day after Hamas fired rockets that set off air raid sirens in central Israel.

The U.S. on Dec. 8 vetoed a Security Council resolution backed by almost all other council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

Diplomats said the text is still being negotiated to try to get the United States, Israel’s closest ally, to abstain or vote ‘yes’ on the resolution.

The army’s chief spokesman said soldiers in Gaza City mistakenly identified the three Israelis as a threat and opened fire on them.

Israeli troops are still locked in heavy combat with Palestinian fighters in and around Gaza City, more than six weeks after invading Gaza’s north following the militants’ Oct. 7 attack.

He said the next phase would be lower-intensity fighting against ‘pockets of resistance’ and would require Israeli troops to maintain their freedom of operation.