Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made no mention at a public appearance on Sunday of Israeli air strikes on Syria in recent days but spoke pointedly about a commitment to keeping Israel secure.

"(My father) taught me that the greatest responsibility we have is to ensure Israel's security and guarantee its future," he said, dedicating a highway interchange named after his late father, Benzion Netanyahu, a historian who died a year ago.

The ceremony marked the first time Netanyahu has spoken in public since an Israeli official said on Saturday that Israel had carried out an air strike on Friday against missiles in Syria intended for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

A Western intelligence source said Israel launched a second air strike on Sunday that also hit missiles in transit from Iran to Hezbollah.