The Israeli attack inside Syria comes amidst unrelenting violence in the fight between the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking his ouster. But in a sign of a potential diplomatic opening, the head of Syria’s main opposition group, Mouaz al-Khatib, said Wednesday he is prepared to hold talks with Assad’s representatives outside of Syria if the government releases tens of thousands of prisoners. Al-Khatib’s offer marked an apparent softening of a previously held position ruling out any talks with Assad. Speaking during a visit to Kuwait, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged both sides to stop the fighting in Syria.

Ban Ki-moon: “I urge again to members of the Security Council to feel the sense of responsibility to humanity and history. We cannot go on like this way. But what is a more important fact is that primary responsibility rests with the Syrian government, the President Assad. He should listen to the voices and cries of so many people.”