Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has reportedly said Israel's response to a recent missile attack by Iran will be "lethal, precise and especially surprising."

Gallant's remark on Wednesday came as US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued talks by phone that day on Israel's response to Iran's October 1 missile attack.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stressed that discussion continues on the matter between the US and Israel, and that the two leaders agreed to remain in close contact over the coming days.

Regarding the phone call, US ABC News quoted a senior government official as saying members of the Biden administration "felt the Israeli government was receptive to their arguments for sticking to conventional military targets rather than nuclear or oil production sites."

US news website Axios has quoted Israeli officials as saying that "the retaliation is expected to be significant, and will likely include a combination of airstrikes on military targets in Iran and clandestine attacks like the one that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran."

Some media outlets in Israel say Netanyahu plans to call a Cabinet meeting as early as Thursday.