Egypt is holding intensive consultations with Israel, the US and Palestinian groups to de-escalate tensions that arose Friday night around the Gaza Strip, Al Arabiya reports.
According to its information, the Egyptian authorities "are holding extensive talks with the Israeli side, the United States and certain Palestinian factions in order to restore peace as soon as possible."
Previously, Cairo had demanded that Israel stop targeting residential neighborhoods and civilians in the Gaza Strip. The channel reported that Egyptian security forces contacted the Israeli side after the Israeli Air Force attacked the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli side, in turn, told Egypt that the escalation of the current conflict depends on the actions of Palestinian factions.
Previously, Egypt has repeatedly mediated in acute situations around Gaza, when the parties to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have moved to direct armed confrontation. So far, Egypt, which has diplomatic relations with Israel and maintains contacts with groups operating in the sector bordering Egypt, has been able to bring the parties to compromise solutions, at least temporarily. The main mediating role in this rapprochement has always been that of Egyptian foreign intelligence.
Situation around Gaza
Some time ago, Israeli aircraft launched air strikes on the northern and central parts of the enclave. Israeli planes attacked facilities of the Palestinian movement Hamas, which controls the Strip. In central Gaza, the Israeli Air Force attacked the positions of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas' military wing - TASS). The explosions took place near the administrative center of Gaza City, as well as in the Beit Hanoun neighborhood in the north of the enclave.
In response, Palestinian radical groups fired several rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Al Jazeera TV noted that the groups in Gaza "fired rockets at [Israeli] posts around the Strip." It was also reported that the Palestinian resistance fighters fired anti-aircraft missiles in response to attacks by the Israeli Air Force. Moreover, a spokesman for the resistance claimed that Palestinian groups repelled attacks by Israeli aircraft over Gaza with ground-to-air missiles.
Earlier Thursday, northern Israel was shelled from Lebanese territory. At least 34 rockets were fired at Israel, according to the army, 25 of which were intercepted by the air defense system.
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Based on materials from TASS