Israeli officials on Thursday attempted to ease the speculation of a new military confrontation prompted by reports of military preparations, deployments and drills, with assurances that Israel has no plans to attack Syria.

"Israel has no intention of attacking Syria, and the latter says it is only ready to respond to any attack," said Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon. "So the risk of a military confrontation is very low."

Indeed, Israel and Syria have repeatedly stated that neither one seeks to attack the other, but the long-time enemies are know to have difficulty believing each other. Meanwhile, the growing distrust between them is raising the ante for a military confrontation.

The London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi on Wednesday quoted Syrian officials as saying Damascus was bracing for an Israeli attack by deploying three armored divisions and nine infantry brigades near Lebanon's Bekaa Valley and they have summoned up reserve forces.

Another London-based daily, Ash-Sharq al-Awsat, on Thursday quoted the chairman of the Syrian parliament's Syrian-Iranian relations committee, Muhammad Habash, as confirming Israeli reports that Tehran had set up sophisticated surveillance stations in recent months to spy on Israeli military communications.

"The existence of these platforms is not a secret and Syria is doing everything that requires it to defend its territories, and seeks the assistance of the appropriate military expertise," Habash told the Saudi-owned newspaper. "We are still in a state of war with Israel."

But such cooperation was refuted by an Iranian embassy spokesman in Damascus, while reports of Syrian military deployments that have been loosely denied by Syria are being taken seriously by Israel.

Nevertheless, the reported Syrian forces' movements coincide with Israeli preparations to hold the largest military maneuvers and nationwide drills since the end of its 2006 summer war against Lebanon's Hezbollah, which ended without the intended Israeli victory of crushing the Iran-backed Shiite guerrilla organization.

Israel's powerful security cabinet on Wednesday approved the drills, which are expected to be conducted as if Israel was at war, by mocking up a massive missile strike on the population centers.

Defense officials have said they expect the next war to include Syrian and Iranian participation in supporting Hezbollah.

The security cabinet also seems to expect its enemies to launch missiles with non-conventional warheads. It announced the authorities will redistribute gas masks to civilians starting early next year.

Coincidentally, or not, the April 6-10 war games and drills will start on the day the Syrian authorities are due to release their findings on the assassination of Hezbollah's top military commander Imad Mughnieh.

The Hezbollah organization, backed by Syria, has accused Israel of killing Mughnieh in a car bombing in Damascus in February. While Israel denied involvement, Hezbollah leaders have vowed to retaliate against Israel.

Israeli commentators speculated the release of the Syrian findings on Mughnieh's assassination will be tantamount to a signal for Hezbollah to take the revenge it promised Israel.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak apparently called off a planned visit to Germany next week because of the war games and, some Arab analysts say, an anticipated Hezbollah retaliation involving its Syrian and Iranian supporters.

Israeli military officials have been taking Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's threat to strike back at Israel for Mughnieh's killing seriously, namely because the man is known to make good on his promises.

In what Arab analysts say is an Israeli attempt to avert an attack, top Israeli defense officials have been warning that their armed forces remain the strongest in the Middle East and are urging anyone against testing their military ability.

Arab and Israeli pundits predict a new confrontation in part because the 2006 war did not actually conclude with any winners.

While one side has one of the world's mightiest armies and the other a powerful guerrilla group, both say they have learned from their combat mistakes and each is aware that the other is regrouping, rearming and retraining.

Observers say that the antagonists are preparing for this scenario that appears to be unfolding: Israel is waiting for Hezbollah to strike first; Syria, as Hezbollah's supporter, expects to be attacked by Israel and intends to fight back; and Iran is ready to provide military backing for its allies; meanwhile, the United States is unlikely to leave its Israeli ally to fight alone against what the U.S. President George W. Bush has called the "axis of evil."