A strike inside Syria early Friday killed dozens of Syrian soldiers and some members of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, a Hezbollah spokesperson told The Washington Post; Syrian state news agency blamed Israel for the attack. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of soldiers held captive in the Gaza Strip that continued military pressure was the only way to secure the hostages’ release, reiterating Israel’s intention to launch an offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.
