JERUSALEM — Egyptian and Israeli officials began talks in Cairo on Monday on the cease-fire understandings with Hamas. But the process, marked by a degree of confusion that has already led to clashes along the Israel-Gaza border, remained opaque as officials in Israel and Gaza refused to comment.

Yasser Othman, Egypt’s representative to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, told the independent Palestinian news agency Maan that the talks were focusing on opening border crossings into Gaza, with Egypt mediating between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the enclave.

Israeli officials refused even to confirm that a delegation had arrived in Cairo. It was not immediately clear whether this stemmed from an agreement between the sides to maintain discretion, or if it was part of an Israeli effort to play down the idea it was making any concessions to Hamas.

The cease-fire deal, reached on Wednesday, brought to an end eight days of hostilities between Israel and the militant groups in Gaza during which Israel bombed more than 1,000 targets in Gaza and the militants fired more than 1,500 rockets into Israel, leaving more than 160 Palestinians and 6 Israelis dead.