"A Patriot aerial defence system missile was launched towards an unmanned aerial vehicle approaching the Israeli border from Syria," the army said.

"As a result, the vehicle retreated from the border. A hit was not identified," it said in a statement, noting the drone had not crossed into Israeli territory.

In February, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) identified by Israel as Iranian was launched from Syria into Israel, setting off an escalation during which an Israeli F16 fighter was downed.

The army did not provide further details on Sunday's UAV.

Israel has warned of growing Iranian military presence in neighbouring Syria, which it sees as a threat to its safety.

Its military has been carrying out strikes on Iranian and Iran-affiliated targets in Syria, with a US official saying it was Israeli forces that carried out a deadly strike against an Iraqi paramilitary base in eastern Syria on June 17.

Israeli seized a large swathe of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it, in a move never recognised by the international community.