ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hit back at claims that air strikes on Syria, Lebanon and Iraq last week were a “declaration of war” by insisting Tel Aviv will defend itself “by any means necessary.”

Mr Netanyahu — who faces an election next month — has been warned by all three countries that Israeli drone attacks will not be tolerated any longer.

Israel took the unusual measure of admitting to Saturday’s missile attack in Syria. It claimed to have targeted several sites in Damascus  with “killer drones” to stop a supposed Iranian attack.