An eruption of hostilities between Israel and Hamas militants, once again, raised the specter of war in the Gaza Strip in recent days.

But by sundown Tuesday, Israel and Hamas — the Islamic militant group that controls the impoverished enclave — signaled a willingness to end clashes in a deal brokered by international parties. The tensions threatened a tenuous détente in the slow-burning conflict.

While the deal allowed a fragile calm to take hold, the violence was the worst since the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. And it raised questions about how the two sides got here again and what the implications might be for any potential peace process.

Here are some key things to know about the conflict.

Why did tensions rise?

The latest clashes started after a botched intelligence mission by undercover Israeli commandos over the weekend. The covert operation ended in a firefight that left one Israeli soldier and seven Palestinian fighters dead.