Israeli military leaders feel that a armed conflict with Syria would end badly for the Jewish state, and are therefore urging Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to open negotiations with Damascus.

If peace talks are not resumed, the army officials said that the possibility of war with Syria this summer will greatly increase, reported Israel's Ynet news portal.

The Israelis pointed to recent Syrian troop deployments near the Golan Heights to back their assessment. Syria has also acquired a large quantity of new weapons in recent months, including sophisticated Russian anti-aircraft systems and improved long-range missiles.

Syria is believed to be operating a massive underground missile command center that can strike any part of Israel with hundreds of warheads.

Damascus can be expected to respond to reports of Israel's apprehension by expanding its demands and moving even further away from compromise.