DAMASCUS -- Nine Druze men were killed Thursday after falling into an ambush set by Syrian forces and allied paramilitary units while en route to support Druze fighters in Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.
According to the Britain-based war monitor, the Druze fighters were en route from the southern Suwayda province to support the Druze in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya in the southwest of Damascus, bringing the total number of people killed in the recent sectarian unrest to 73. (Syria-Sectarian Unrest-Deaths)
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JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said here Thursday that defeating Hamas is Israel's main goal and takes precedence over securing the release of the hostages still held in Gaza.
"We have many goals in this war. We want to bring back all our hostages ... It is a very important goal ... But the war has a supreme objective, and this supreme objective is victory over our enemies," Netanyahu made the remarks during a speech as the country is marking its 77th Independence Day. (Israel-Defeating Hamas-Freeing Hostages)
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MUSCAT -- Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said Thursday that the fourth round of the Omani-mediated U.S.-Iran talks scheduled for Saturday in Rome has been postponed for logistical reasons.
"New dates will be announced when mutually agreed," Albusaidi said on the social media platform X. (Oman-US-Iran Talks-Postpone)
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JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said it launched two drone strikes on Thursday in southern Lebanon, killing two Hezbollah militants, including a member of the group's elite Radwan Force.
In a statement, the military said the first strike targeted a Hezbollah operative in Mays El Jabal who was "operating in the area of the border and gathering intelligence for Hezbollah," and the second strike killed a Radwan Force fighter in the same area. ■
