Israel warns it will exact a price for Iran attacks
JERUSALEM, 15 days ago
Israel has warned that it will "exact a price" for Iran's missile and drone attack on its territory on Saturday, when the timing is right.
Israel earlier said over 300 drones and missiles were launched by Iran and a vast majority of them were intercepted. However, there were a small number of hits on its territory, including a base in southern Israel, a BBC report said.
Iran had been warning that it would retaliate after an Israeli strike killed Iranian military commanders in Damascus earlier this month.
In a statement, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said: "We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us.
"And most importantly, faced with the desire of our enemies to harm us, we will continue to unite and become stronger."
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden said the US helped Israel "take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles".
As world leaders urged restraint, Iran warned that any "reckless" retaliation by Israel would receive a "much stronger response".
Hanoch Milwidsky, who is vice-president of the Israeli parliament and a Knesset member from PM Netanyahu's Likud Party, told the BBC there is unanimity in the Israeli government that there should be a response to the Iranian attack.
“We knew it was coming, there was a lot of expectation and we were very happy that it ended the way it ended, at least this round,” he told the BBC's Newshour programme, referring to the large number of drones and missiles that were intercepted.
Acknowledging the US desire to avoid military escalation in focus on diplomacy, he said this was a "very crucial time in the history of Israel".
"Of course we listen, we consult with all our friends in the world but eventually the last word should be ours.”
