Israel's senior leadership is " vigilantly" monitoring the chaotic violence in Syria that surged on Wednesday, as a bombing killed the defense minister in Damascus, and wounded top officials in the al-Assad regime.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak conferred on the rapidly-changing situation across the northern border, according to a Defense Ministry statement sent to Xinhua.

Syrian Defense Minister Dawood Rajaha and President Bashar al- Assad's brother-in-law were killed and other senior officials injured in a powerful bomb blast as they met at a national security facility.

"In the last few hours, Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has been holding consultations with the relevant security and intelligence officials regarding the situation in Syria. He instructed them to vigilantly follow the events," the statement read.

"Israel is closely monitoring all of the developments in Syria, " Barak said.

As well, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz consulted with military intelligence and other military figures, according to Army radio.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said his offices were closely monitoring the situation, adding that "Israel is prepared for any eventuality," the report said.

Lieberman's remarks hinted at a worst-case scenario for Israel, in which al-Assad or rebel groups opted to turn the country's arsenal of chemical and biological agents against Israel, as a ploy to divert attention from the violence engulfing their country.

Meanwhile, Israeli President Shimon Peres on Wednesday called on the United Nations to send an Arab League peacekeeping force to Syria to end that country's deepening civil war, and to replace the al-Assad regime via democratic elections.