British foreign secretary David Cameron said it was clear Israel had made a decision to respond to the Iranian drone and ballistic missile attack and he hoped this would be carried out in a way that minimized escalation.

"It's clear the Israelis are making a decision to act," Cameron, who was speaking to reporters in Israel, said on Wednesday. "We hope they do so in a way that does as little to escalate this as possible."

Britain wanted to see coordinated sanctions against Iran, he added. "They need to be given a clear, unequivocal message by the G7," he said.