A boy and his family leave the city of Rafah. (Photo: AFP/Getty)

A senior Israeli official said, however, that the progress is connected to the Israeli army's decision to conduct an infantry attack on the city of Rafah.

Syrian media reported on Monday that at least 8 people were killed in an airstrike conducted by the Israeli Air Force on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. According to Syria's SANA news agency, the building was destroyed by missiles, and among the victims was a high-ranking commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Immediately, Iranian officials said they will retaliate. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said Israel's airstrike on the Iranian consulate was a serious violation of international law, and Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Naser Kanaani said Iran has the right to take appropriate measures in response to the airstrike.