Israel bombed an area near the presidential palace in Damascus early on Friday, in its clearest warning yet to Syria's new Islamist-led authorities of its readiness to ramp up military action in the name of the country'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.