Israel has accused Hamas of breaching the peace agreement concerning the Gaza Strip and carried out strikes on military positions. The United States later held talks with the Israeli side.

Source: Axios, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that on Sunday, Hamas fighters emerged from a tunnel in the Rafah area – largely controlled by the IDF – and fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli vehicle.

In response, the Israeli military launched around 20 airstrikes on Hamas targets in Rafah and other parts of Gaza. Israel also decided to close all crossings into Gaza and suspend the delivery of humanitarian aid.

According to Axios, Israel informed the US in advance about its strikes. US officials Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a phone call with their Israeli counterparts to discuss the next steps.

A US official told Axios that Washington had urged Israel "to respond proportionally but to exercise restraint".

"No one wants a return to full-scale war. The Israelis want to show Hamas there are consequences without destroying the peace deal," the official said.

Background:

• On 13 October, US President Donald Trump and representatives of Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye signed an agreement to end the war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas.
• The signing took place during an international summit hosted by Egypt, attended by European leaders.
• President Trump had earlier stated that if Hamas failed to uphold the peace deal, he would consider allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume military action in Gaza.

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