The French news agency AFP announced that EU diplomats have decided to lift all economic sanctions against Syria.

Diplomats reported that on Tuesday, EU countries greenlit the lifting of all economic sanctions imposed on Syria to help the country recover after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

According to diplomats, the ambassadors from the 27 EU member states reached a preliminary agreement on this decision, which will be officially announced later in the day by foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

Before the meeting of EU foreign ministers, EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas stated her hope that an agreement would be reached on lifting economic sanctions against Syria.

According to Reuters, Kallas said before the meeting, “We want to ensure that the Syrian people have access to jobs and livelihoods so that the country can become more stable.”

On February 24, the European Union announced the suspension of some sanctions imposed on Syria under the Assad government, particularly those related to the banking, energy, and transportation sectors.

US President Donald Trump also met with Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (Ahmed Shara), the leader of the HTS administration in Syria, and announced that they would lift sanctions on Syria.

Yair Golan described the Israeli government as being “in moral collapse, vengeful, and threatening.” He stated, “A normal state does not wage war against civilians.”

Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli Democrats party and former Deputy Chief of Staff, harshly criticized the attacks in Gaza and the objective of driving Palestinians to southern Gaza and then to other countries, during an interview with state television KAN.

Asserting that the government is “vengeful, full of immoral people, weak,” and constitutes a threat to Israel’s existence, Golan remarked, “A normal state does not wage war against civilians, does not kill children as a hobby, and does not set itself the goal of displacing a people. Israel is progressing towards becoming a pariah state among nations.”

Golan’s statements elicited reactions from both the ruling party and the opposition in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to Golan’s assertion that “they aim to kill children,” claimed that the attacks on Gaza are intended “to rescue the captive soldiers there and to defeat Hamas.”

Main opposition party Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid also condemned Golan’s statements, arguing that “saying soldiers kill children for a hobby is a lie and a gift to enemies.”

Ceasefire in Gaza shelved, occupation plan in effect

The Israeli army terminated the ceasefire, which began on January 19, on the morning of March 18 and recommenced intense attacks on Gaza. In these recent assaults, 3,340 Palestinians, predominantly children, women, and the elderly, were killed, and 9,357 individuals were injured.

Since October 7, 2023, the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza has reached 53,475, with 121,398 injured.

Israel, having activated its plan for the permanent occupation of the region following US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour and intensifying its attacks under the operation named Gideon’s Carts, reportedly plans to confine Palestinians driven to southern Gaza in “concentration camps” and permit only enough aid for their basic survival.

Israeli ministers have announced intentions to demolish everything intact in the Gaza Strip and to relocate Palestinians first to the south and subsequently to other countries.

The Israeli government declared it would permit basic food supplies into Gaza to avert famine. While this measure by the Israeli government met with objections from far-right elements, only five trucks of essential foodstuffs reached Gaza on Monday.

Israel has taken a step toward allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza, reversing its decision from March when it completely halted such entries. An announcement confirmed that a basic supply of food would be permitted to cross into Gaza.

Facing an increasing risk of famine and mounting international pressure after initiating a blockade on March 2, Israel has decided to partially ease its policy of obstructing aid to the region.

A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office declared, “Israel will provide the population with a basic amount of food to ensure that a famine crisis does not emerge in the Gaza Strip.” The statement also claimed that a famine crisis would benefit Hamas and noted that the Israeli military would oversee aid distribution.

According to Reuters, Eri Kaneko, a spokesperson for the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, confirmed that Israel had contacted the UN to resume limited aid deliveries. Kaneko mentioned that logistical details were under discussion, considering the conditions on the ground.

The entry of humanitarian aid was prompted by international pressure. Israeli media reported that the security cabinet convened to discuss ongoing negotiations in Doha for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement in Gaza, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid.

Israeli state television KAN reported that the decision to immediately permit humanitarian aid into Gaza resulted from political pressure on Israel, primarily from the US and European nations. This cabinet decision was reportedly made without a vote. The objections of far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who had previously threatened to dismantle the government if such a decision were made, were disregarded, and their proposals to put the matter to a vote were rejected.

In a statement, Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized the decision, asserting, “While our prisoners are in tunnels, any humanitarian aid entering the Strip will definitely feed Hamas and give it oxygen.” He accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of making a mistake.

Meanwhile, the news website Walla reported that aid would be supplied through the United Nations and international organizations until May 24. After this date, an aid distribution plan led by Israel is expected to be implemented.

Since March 2, Israel has been preventing medical supplies, food, and fuel from entering Gaza. The Israeli security cabinet recently approved a plan to expand its operations in Gaza, which includes placing aid distribution entirely under Israeli military control. As part of this, an operation named “Gideon’s Chariots” was launched.

Attacks are ongoing, and the death toll is rising. The Israeli military claimed to have struck over 670 Hamas targets and neutralized numerous Hamas members in the past week as part of the “Gideon’s Chariots” operation.

However, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported that at least 464 Palestinians lost their lives during the same period. Ministry spokesperson Khalil al-Deqran stated, “Some families have been completely wiped from the civil registry system due to Israeli bombardment.”

The healthcare system in Gaza has almost entirely collapsed. Due to fuel shortages, 75% of ambulances are non-operational, and it is feared that all medical transport could cease within 72 hours. Health officials announced that the death toll has surpassed 53,000, the majority being civilians.

One of Israel’s overnight airstrikes hit a tent camp in Khan Yunis, which housed displaced civilians. The attack resulted in numerous fatalities, including women and children, and caused tents to catch fire.

The Gaza Ministry of Health also announced that the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza, which had been partially functioning, is now completely out of service due to Israeli fire. The Israeli military stated that operations against “terror infrastructure” are continuing in the area.

Additionally, there has been no official confirmation of reports that Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar was killed last week in an airstrike on a tunnel beneath a hospital.

The decision by Israel to allow some aid came after indirect talks in Qatar between Israel and Hamas failed to yield any progress. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had indicated that discussions covered a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, the exile of Hamas militants, and the demilitarization of Gaza. Hamas had previously rejected these terms.

Hamas officials informed Reuters that during the Qatar talks, Israel focused solely on the release of hostages and did not commit to ending the war. Hamas reiterated its willingness to release all hostages in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the lifting of the blockade, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

A senior Israeli official confirmed that no progress has been made in the negotiations so far.