Officials call for restraint after missile, drone strike

Top Israeli officials were meeting Sunday to weigh a response to Iran’s historic missile and drone strike one day earlier, and Israeli wartime Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz vowed Iran would pay.

“We will build a regional coalition and exact the price from Iran in the fashion and timing that is right for us,” Gantz said.

Israel’s military said that with help from the United States and other allies, it shot down more than 300 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles launched by Iran as part of retaliation for an Israeli missile strike that killed Iranian military commanders earlier this month in Syria.

U.S. fighter aircraft and guided-missile destroyers knocked down some of the incoming missiles and drones, according to the official who was briefed on the operation but not authorized to speak publicly. Israel’s Arrow, David’s Sling and Iron Dome also took down most of the attack.

British military jets also helped thwart Iran’s attack, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunday. “I can confirm that our planes did shoot down a number of Iranian attack drones,” he said.

“We intercepted, we repelled, together we shall win,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on social media ahead of the Cabinet meeting Sunday.

John Kirby, U.S. National Security Council spokesman, said Sunday that America will continue to help Israel defend itself − but it does not want war with Iran.

Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the

Israeli military, said in a Sunday briefing that 99% of the “threats launched toward Israeli territory were intercepted.” Hagari said that out of more than 120 ballistic missiles launched by Iran, a small number penetrated Israel’s border. The rest were shot down. He said an Israeli air force base in southern Israel sustained some “minor damage to infrastructure.” At least one child was injured.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said U.S. forces intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles and drones launched from Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Israel and Iran have long been engaged in a so-called shadow war, with Iran using its proxies − militant groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels − to target Israel,

A police officer on Sunday inspects the remnants of a rocket booster that, according to Israeli authorities, critically injured a 7-year-old girl after Iran launched drones and missiles toward Israel.