The new weapon, an adaptation of the air-launched Delilah cruise missile, would be able to reach all nearby capitals including Damascus and Beirut, but not Israel's main regional rival Iran, according to the military publishers.

IMI said the Delilah-GL missile had a range of 250 kilometers (150 miles) but Israeli defence sources told Jane's that it went "well beyond 300 kilometers".

The report by the British military publication, which will be published in its magazine on June 16, said Israel has long sought to acquire the capability to fire cruise missiles from land. This is the first time Israel has publicly acknowledged its ability to do so.

IMI and Israel would not comment on the missile's payload capacity, but the Delilah air-to-surface missile on which it is based can carry up to a 30-kilogram (66-pound) high-explosive warhead or a range of other payloads.

The Jewish state is also reportedly seeking to develop longer-range cruise missiles which could be deployed from submarines, Jane's said.

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