The European Union today called on Israel not to resume targeted killings after a top Israeli official warned that Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin is "marked for death".
EU spokesman Mr Diego Ojeda said in Brussels: "The European Union has spoken on several occasions against the so-called extra-judicial killings of suspected terrorists.
"Proceeding in such a manner against a leading figure of a Palestinian terrorist organisation would be counter-productive to efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East as the European Union has expressed many times before."
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Mr Richard Boucher said Israel had a right to defend itself but also should consider the consequences of its actions.
He emphasised that the United States opposed targeted killings.
Israeli security officials today said that targeted killings of senior Hamas members would likely resume after a suicide bombing on Wednesday which killed four Israeli border guards at the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel.
Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Mr Zeev Boim initially named Yassin as a target - the first time an Israeli official has been so specific.
He later said high-level Defence Ministry discussions on a response to the bombing did not include a decision to kill the Hamas founder.
Earlier this year, Israel unleashed several air strikes against leading Hamas figures, killing one, Mr Ismail Abu Shanab, but missing three others, including Yassin who escaped the bombing of a Gaza City building in September with minor injuries.
AP