Syria and Jordan on Thursday condemned Israeli warplanes violation of Syrian airspace as an act of piracy.

"Syria is capable, with her people's competence and the Arab cohesion, to confront and repel the Israeli attacks," Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Ottri told a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart Marouf al-Bkhit at the end of the Syrian- Jordanian Higher committee's meeting.

"This aggression embodies an Israeli piracy to hide brutal crimes perpetrated by Israeli forces of occupation in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories," Ottri said.

For his part, Bkhit said the Israeli overflight was " impermissible as it is a violation of international laws and norms. "

According to the official SANA news agency, two Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over the coastal region in northwest Syria at dawn on Wednesday, which "were repelled by air- defenses that forced them to leave the area".

SANA did not confirm Israeli media report that the Israeli warplanes had overflew a summer palace of President Bashar al- Assad in the Mediterranean port city of Lattakia while Assad himself was inside the palace.

The overflight came after Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon said on Wednesday that the exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal in Damascus was a target of assassination for ordering the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier.

Three Palestinian militant groups including Hamas' armed wing launched a deadly attack on an Israeli army post near Gaza border on Sunday, killing two Israeli soldiers and capturing another.

However, an Information Ministry source was quoted by SANA as saying that Israel made a "grave mistake" if it was attempting to warn Syria against supporting Hamas.

Source: Xinhua