Alliance Deputy Secretary General Mircea Joan said: "I am disappointed today with our Israeli friends over the loss of life. I stand in full solidarity with Israel in the face of the horrific attacks."

The deputy said he had been to Israel a few weeks ago and that they had discussed a new level of co-operation between NATO and the country.

Yahya Rahim Safavi, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, emphasised Tehran's support for Hamas and thanked it for the operation: "We will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian fighters for the freedom of Jerusalem."