American concerns that the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas could lead to the involvement of other sides in the region are reflected by the movement of the strike force of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as escort warships, to the eastern Mediterranean.

According to the BBC, the US is keen to block the powerful Hezbollah movement in Lebanon to join the conflict. It is backed by Iran, which also funds and arms Hamas. Iranian President Ebrahim Raishi expressed his support for the Hamas attack, saying Israel “must be held accountable for endangering the region”.

Hamas said Iranian aid helped it carry out its attack, which included rockets, drones and paratroopers with hundreds of fighters breaking through Israeli border fortifications around the Gaza Strip.

The Kremlin considers the risk of involvement of “third powers” in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to be “high”, its spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, hinting at the US.

“The risk of involvement of third forces in this conflict is high,” explained Dmitry Peskov, calling for a “negotiation process to begin as soon as possible,” according to Russian news agencies Ria Novosti and TASS.