Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Israel will stop Syrian refugees from entering the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights if they try to flee there.

Barak told reporters after touring the Golan on Thursday that Syrian refugees, who have already started fleeing to Turkey and Jordan, might also start fleeing toward the Israeli-held territory.

He added, "If we have to stop waves of refugees we will stop them."

Barak also repeated the military's assessment that the Golan area could become a haven for militant groups.

Israel captured the plateau from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war.

In his comments to reporters, Barak restated Israel's frequently voiced fear that, in the chaos, Syrian weapons will fall in the hands of Lebanese Hezbollah militants.