Israel bombed an area near the presidential palace in Damascus early on Friday in its clearest signal yet of hostility toward the Islamist-led Syrian authorities and a preparedness to ramp up military action in the name of Syria's Druze minority.

Israel's PM says it will "not allow any threat" to the minority in Syria after sectarian clashes in which dozens were killed.

It was the second time in days that Israel intervened militarily in Syria amid a wave of sectarian violence there.