Damascus - Washington: Agencies
After years of "Caesar Act" sanctions that have devastated the Syrian economy, there is talk that Washington intends to ease economic restrictions on Damascus to help the new government.
The Wall Street Journal said that the White House agreed to issue exemptions to relief organizations and companies that provide basic services such as water, electricity, and others in Syria, over the weekend. According to what was reported by the Euronews news website in Brussels,
The newspaper's sources added that the exemption will be valid for six months, and that aid providers will get rid of the need to obtain permits, provided that Syria does not abuse the privileges.
The newspaper expects that US President Joe Biden will leave the decision regarding lifting sanctions on Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which is classified as a terrorist organization, to his successor, given the approaching end of his term.
Earlier, two US representatives, one from the Republican Party and the other from the Democratic Party, submitted a letter to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, calling for a partial easing of sanctions imposed on Syria under the "Caesar Act," according to Reuters.

The two representatives suggested in their letter that the United States follow a new approach to its sanctions that includes extending sanctions imposed on former government officials, in addition to any Syrian citizen proven to have dealt with the regime, Russia, or Iran, for an additional five years, while lifting sanctions on the economic and reconstruction sectors.

In this context, the United States and its allies in Europe and the Middle East agree that Syria is in dire need of more aid, including reconstruction funds to rebuild the country's shattered infrastructure, but they remain cautious about lifting sanctions completely, betting on the ability of the new government to provide the requirements of a dignified and just civil life for all segments of the Syrian people. Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Sunday released a video allegedly showing weapons it seized during its advance into Syrian territory after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The footage shows mines, anti-tank missiles, and shells seized in the area around Mount Hermon. According to the Israeli military, the weapons were moved elsewhere for destruction.

Israel seized part of southern Syria, which borders the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, days after the Assad regime fell to the Syrian opposition. Israel has also targeted Syrian military infrastructure with airstrikes.

Its takeover of the buffer zone, which is about 400 square kilometers (155 square miles), has sparked angry reactions, with critics accusing Israel of violating a 1974 ceasefire agreement and trying to exploit the chaos in Syria to make new territorial gains.,