Tehran has denied involvement in the unprecedented attack that has left hundreds of Israelis dead. But even without evidence of a direct Iranian hand, the bloody carnage has triggered a new period of turmoil in Israel and Gaza, which could yet lead to unintended escalation.
The scale and complexity of an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on Israel has raised questions about whether the Palestinian group received direct support from Iran, analysts have said. There is also a chance this is only 'phase one' in a wider offensive that seeks to draw in Palestinian militants on the West Bank and Iranian-backed Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon. Tehran has denied involvement.
' One thing is certain, Israeli and western intelligence services will be looking for any evidence that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps played a part in the atrocities beyond a long-standing relationship between Tehran and Hamas of financial and military support. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, said on Monday: 'Iran is a major player but we can't yet say if it was involved in the planning or training.