Iran may rethink reprisals against Israel over killing of Hamas’s leader

Iran may be rethinking the scale and format of its planned reprisal against Israel after the assassination of Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, but is not likely to be put off by the absence of explicit support from Muslim states for an Iranian military response, officials have suggested.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have reportedly concluded that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is determined to carry out an attack in the next few days in response to Israel's killing of senior commander Fuad Shukr, but the degree to which it will coordinate with Iran is unclear.

US and Israeli sources have reportedly said in recent days that Tehran is still deciding on the scale and scope of its response after significant diplomatic pressure to avoid civilian casualties. Iran appears likely to target those responsible for the attack, specifically the Mossad and its agencies, rather than civilians.

At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah this week, there was a unanimous condemnation of the killing of Haniyeh, with members stating it was in flagrant violation of international law and of Iran's sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security.

But no formal collective support for an Iranian attack on Israel was issued, and Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, in his remarks called for cool heads and perseverance with a diplomatic path - saying that the assassination must be avenged but that "we must not fulfil Benjamin Netanyahu's design for a wider war". He said the Israeli prime minister was seeking to set a trap.

The country is bracing itself for a response from Iran and from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, whose military chief, Shukr, was killed in Beirut by Israel last week.

Hospitals in northern Israel and Lebanon have been preparing for a potential influx of wounded people. Israel's home front command this week sent search-and-rescue battalions to big cities; large outdoor gatherings in northern Israel have been banned.