Syria is producing more rockets and preparing its army for possible armed conflict with Israel, but is unlikely to initiate an attack, head of the Defense Ministry's political-security department, Amos Gilad, told Israel Radio Saturday.

Gilad said Syria is increasing its army's preparedness for violent conflict, such as possible Israeli retaliation to Syria's support for militant anti-Israeli groups, but that it is unlikely Syria would initiate an attack against Israel.

Gilad also said Syria is equipping the military with more anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft missiles and producing more rockets.

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Noting that Israel has been in the range of Syrian rockets for years, he said: "Any disaster would stem from the fact that the attitude in Damascus is much more violent, and that they (the Syrian leaders) have become enamored with the violent option".

In an alliance with Iran, Syria also continues to help arm the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, despite a U.N. arms embargo, and supports the violent Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Gilad said.

Gilad spoke a day after U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria and Iran to do more to prevent arms smuggling to Lebanon, citing disturbing reports from the Lebanese and Israeli governments of alleged violations of the U.N. arms embargo.

Arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon are banned under a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended last summer's 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. However, U.N. inspectors have found that security along the Lebanon-Syria border is insufficient to prevent arms smuggling.

Gilad said Saturday that Syria continues to serve as the transit point for Iranian weapons and money to Hezbollah, despite the U.N. resolution.

"Syria ... is allowing the Iranians, and is itself arming Hezbollah in a massive fashion, and is putting it on its feet," Gilad said, comparing Syria's actions to someone throwing flammable material and a lit match into a gas station.