DAMASCUS: A national dialogue conference held Tuesday in Damascus set out a path for the new Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad but did not receive support from Kurdish leaders, who were not invited. Among the principles agreed to was a state monopoly on arms, which came with Syria’s Kurds at odds with the new government over the future of their armed units. Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in a speech to attendees, said the country was at a “new historic phase” after more than a decade of civil war. A closing statement, which is expected to be advisory rather than binding, included 18 points that “will serve as a basis” for the reform of state institutions and touch on Syria’s political life, economy, defense policy and rights. The statement read out by Houda Atassi, a member of the conference’s preparatory committee, called for “a monopoly on weapons by the state” and a new professional national army. Any “armed formations outside the official institutions” would be “outlawed,” according to the statement — an implicit reference to Kurdish-led forces and other factions that have refused to lay down their arms since Assad’s toppling. It also rejected “provocative statements” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said his country “will not allow” Syrian armed forces to be deployed south of Damascus, and condemned “the Israeli incursion into Syrian territory.” While the conference was ongoing, protesters gathered in cities across Syria including the capital and Suwayda in the south to protest against Netanyahu, state news agency SANA reported. The statement also rejected “all forms of discrimination based on race, religion or sect and the achievement of the principle of equal opportunities.” Civil society, religious communities, opposition figures and artists were represented at the hastily organized conference — an initiative unheard of under Assad. However, officials from the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that controls swathes of the country’s north and northeast criticized being shut out of the event, decrying the “token representation” for minority groups. The Kurdish administration said in a statement that it will “not be a part” of implementing the recommendations of the conference which “does not represent the Syrian people.” Addressing the conference earlier, Sharaa said: “Syria has invited all of you today... to consult with each other on the future of your country.” “Syria is indivisible; it is a complete whole, and its strength lies in its unity,” the interim president declared, adding that “the unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation.” Sharaa also said authorities would “work on forming a transitional justice body to restore people’s rights, ensure justice and, God willing, bring criminals to justice.”

LONDON: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, and Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, met on Monday to discuss cooperation and the strategic partnership between their countries.

CAIRO: Nestled near the iconic Giza pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is preparing for a lavish opening, featuring a towering statue of Ramses II and more than 100,000 artefacts, including Tutankhamun’s golden treasures. After two decades of planning, the GEM is set to open fully on July 3, following a partial opening in October. Its long-awaited debut comes after years of delays caused by political instability, economic crises, and the global pandemic. Ahmed Ghoneim, the museum’s director, said the inauguration could span several days, with celebrations extending beyond the museum and pyramids to sites across Egypt and even abroad. “It will be a spectacular showcase of Egypt’s historical and touristic potential,” Ghoneim told Egypt’s ON TV. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has invited US President Donald Trump and Spain’s King Felipe VI to attend the ceremony. “This museum is the (world’s) largest museum for a single civilization, which is the Pharaonic civilization,” El-Sisi said in December. Spanning 50 hectares (120 acres), the GEM is twice the size of both Paris’s Louvre and New York’s Metropolitan, and two and a half times the British Museum, according to its director. Statue of Ramses II “The landscape of Egypt contributed to this rich civilization and we wanted to reflect that in the design,” said Roisin Heneghan, co-founder of Dublin-based Heneghan Peng Architects — the firm behind the museum’s design. “You see the pieces in the museum in the context of the pyramids. You are reminded of the place where this all happened,” she told AFP. An 11-meter (36-foot) statue of Ramses II greets visitors, leading to a grand staircase lined with statues of pharaohs, gods and sarcophagi, and ending at a window framing the pyramids. Currently, 12 galleries display around 15,000 artefacts arranged chronologically from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period. They include Queen Hetepheres’s treasures, such as her intricately carved armchair, in sophisticated lighting after years of being tucked away in the old Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square. Even before the official opening, the museum left some of its first visitors awestruck. “I cannot get over how the lighting is. It is just atmospheric and helpful, and you end up just drawn to everything that is around,” said Philippa Hunt, a tourist from the United Kingdom. South African visitor Leon Wolmarans said the GEM was a significant upgrade from the old one. “This is much better organized, much better lit. The architecture is impressive,” he told AFP. Among the most anticipated displays for the grand opening are the treasures of Tutankhamun, including his iconic gold mask, which will take pride of place in a dedicated gallery. Attracting tourists More than 5,000 Tutankhamun artefacts have been transferred to the GEM, though his full collection, including his sarcophagus and the embalmed remains of his daughters, will be revealed at the official opening. The GEM will also showcase the 44-meter-long cedarwood solar barque, buried near the Great Pyramid around 2,500 BC. Another boat, still being restored, will offer an immersive experience, with visitors watching conservators at work over the next three years. With cutting-edge technology such as virtual reality and interactive exhibits, the GEM promises a fresh take on storytelling, making history come alive for younger generations. The museum website lists entry prices starting at 200 Egyptian pounds (about $4) for adult nationals, and 1,200 pounds for foreigners. Beyond archaeology, the GEM is central to Egypt’s efforts to revive an economy battered by inflation and debt. With tourism recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, the GEM is expected to attract five million visitors annually, adding to a record 15.7 million tourists in 2024. Elhamy Al-Zayat, former chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, said the museum’s proximity to the newly opened Sphinx International Airport, the pyramids and a growing number of nearby hotels will be a game-changer for Egypt’s tourism sector. “There will be easy transportation options to and from the museum, making it accessible from anywhere,” he told AFP. “This will definitely transform Egypt’s tourism industry.”

LONDON: Britain on Thursday removed 24 Syrian entities from its sanctions list and unfroze their assets, including the Central Bank of Syria, other banks and petroleum companies. The West is rethinking its approach to Syria after insurgent forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham ousted Bashar Assad as president in December. Last month, European Union countries suspended a range of sanctions against Syria. Britain’s foreign office did not give further details on the lifting of the sanctions and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Syrian government media official did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

BRUSSELS: The EU on Monday began easing energy and transport sanctions and banking restrictions against the Syrian Arab Republic, aiming to help breathe life into the conflict-torn country’s economy if its new leaders work toward a peaceful future. The EU started to impose asset freezes and travel bans on Syrian officials, banks, agencies, and other organizations in 2011 in response to then-President Bashar Assad’s actions against protesters, which festered into a civil war. But after Assad was toppled in a lightning offensive in December, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, the main former militant group now in control of Syria, set up an interim administration, saying that a new government would be formed through an inclusive process by March.

BEIRUT:Landmines and unexploded ordnance in Syria have killed or injured at least 188 children since president Bashar Assad’s overthrow in December, the Save the Children charity said Thursday.Of that figure, more than 60 children were killed, the UK-based group said, warning the toll could rise as more families return to the war-ravaged country.Since Assad was toppled on December 8, “landmines and explosive remnants of war have caused at least 628 casualties, more than two-thirds of the total number of casualties for all of 2023,” Save the Children said.The United Nations last week said about 1.2 million people had returned home to Syria in the past three months, including over 885,000 who were internally displaced.“Much of Syria is pockmarked by mines and explosive remnants of war after 13 years of conflict,” said Bujar Hoxha, the charity’s Syria director.“At least 188 children have been killed or injured in about three months — that’s an average of two children a day,” he added.The group called on the transitional authorities and international donors to speed up the process of clearing mines and unexploded ordnance in Syria.A report by non-governmental organization Humanity and Inclusion last month had warned of the dangers posed by unexploded munitions left over from the devastating civil war that erupted in 2011.It said experts estimated that between 100,000 and 300,000 of the roughly one million munitions used during the war had never detonated.Also last month, at least eight civilians including three children were killed when unexploded munitions ignited at a house in northwestern Syria, a war monitor and the civil defense said.

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces were clashing with gunmen loyal to an Assad-era special forces commander in Latakia on Thursday, the province’s security director said, after authorities reportedly launched helicopter strikes. The port city of Latakia and the rest of Syria’s Mediterranean coast are the heartland of the ousted president’s Alawite minority and were considered bastions of support during his rule. “The armed groups that our security forces were clashing with in the Latakia countryside were affiliated with the war criminal Suhail Al-Hassan, who committed the most heinous massacres against the Syrian people,” the security director told state news agency SANA. Nicknamed “The Tiger,” Hassan led the country’s special forces and was frequently described as Assad’s “favorite soldier.” He was responsible for key advances by the Assad government in 2015. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had earlier reported “strikes launched by Syrian helicopters on armed men in the village of Beit Ana and the surrounding forests, coinciding with artillery strikes on a neighboring village.” SANA reported that militias loyal to the ousted president had opened fire on “members and equipment of the defense ministry” near the village, killing one security force member and wounding two. Alawite leaders later called in a statement on Facebook for “peaceful protests” in response to the air strikes, which they said had targeted “the homes of civilians.” Tensions erupted after residents of Beit Ana, the birthplace of Suhail Al-Hassan, prevented security forces from arresting a person wanted for trading arms, the Britain-based Observatory said. Security forces subsequently launched a campaign in the area, resulting in clashes with gunmen, it added. The Observatory said it could not verify the identity or affiliation of the gunmen. The tensions erupted after at least four civilians were killed during a security campaign in Latakia, the monitor said on Wednesday. Security forces launched the campaign in the Daatour neighborhood on Tuesday after an ambush by “members of the remnants of Assad militias” killed two members of the security forces, state media reported citing security sources. Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham led a lightning offensive that toppled Assad on December 8. The country’s new security forces have since launched extensive campaigns seeking to root out Assad loyalists from his former bastions.

JERUSALEM: Gaza’s fragile five-week truce faces a major hurdle with Israel’s refusal to release Palestinian prisoners, but analysts say the ceasefire is likely to hold as Washington pushes for its extension. “It’s actually the most complicated crisis since the beginning of the ceasefire,” Palestinian affairs expert Michael Milshtein of Tel Aviv University’s Moshe Dayan Center told AFP. While previous obstacles have tested the truce — including Hamas’s threat to stop releasing hostages over alleged violations of the ceasefire including insufficient aid entering Gaza — Milshtein emphasized that “this time, it is even more complicated.” On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, after militants freed six hostages. He condemned what he described as “humiliating ceremonies” by Hamas to free hostages in Gaza. Palestinian militants had in the weeks prior paraded Israeli captives and later displayed black coffins containing deceased hostages on stage, sparking outrage across Israel. Netanyahu went further on Sunday, warning that Israel was ready to “resume intense fighting at any moment” in the Palestinian territory.

DAMASCUS: Syria’s new interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, said he plans to establish a transitional justice committee, in a speech Tuesday after the opening of a national dialogue conference. Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham toppled longtime president Bashar Assad in December, also emphasized the unity of Syria and the state’s “monopoly” on weapons. The national dialogue conference, held in the presidential palace in Damascus, marks the start of a crucial phase for the country’s future governance after a devastating civil war. “Over the past two months, we have worked on pursuing those who committed crimes against Syrians,” Sharaa told the gathering. “We will work on forming a transitional justice body to restore people’s rights, ensure justice, and, God willing, bring criminals to justice. “The unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation,” the interim leader said. “Syria is indivisible; it is a complete whole, and its strength lies in its unity.” Hundreds of people were seen arriving for the conference in footage published by the official SANA news agency, before discussions got underway.

JENIN: Palestinian militants said on Monday that an unusual deployment of Israeli tanks in the occupied West Bank, part of a major offensive that has displaced tens of thousands, may be a step toward annexation. The torn-up streets surrounding the Jenin refugee camp in the territory’s north were empty on Monday, an AFP journalist reported, as three Israeli Merkava tanks stationed at higher vantage points overlooked the area. Displaced camp residents occasionally entered through a back alley to retrieve belongings from their homes. “We go back in to get things, whatever we can. We take the risk because we have to,” said 52-year-old Ahmad Al-Qahrawi. “We had nothing when we left, no clothes, nothing. We go back to get clothes because it’s cold.” Israeli leaders have repeatedly pledged to annex at least parts of the West Bank, which has been occupied since 1967, but any such proposal has been met with strong opposition from Palestinians and much of the international community. In a weeks-long military operation in the north of the territory, launched around the time a truce took hold in the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces looking for militants have cleared three refugee camps and deployed tanks in Jenin. Militant group Islamic Jihad said that the mass evacuations and first deployment of Israeli tanks in the territory since the early 2000s “confirms the occupation’s plans to annex the West Bank by force.” The group, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza and has a strong presence in the northern West Bank, denounced “a new act of aggression” which it said was “aimed at uprooting our people from their land.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said many residents who fled have taken shelter in “crowded mosques and schools.” The damage has hampered displaced residents’ “access to basic needs such as clean water, food, medical care and shelter,” and the winter cold “has made it more difficult to survive,” it added in a statement. "Lethal war-like tactics" The United Nations’ humanitarian agency OCHA said the military offensive “appears to exceed law enforcement standards” and has had severe consequences. “The continued use of lethal war-like tactics in residential areas is extremely concerning,” OCHA said. Throughout the Gaza war, violence in the West Bank — a separate Palestinian territory — has soared, as have calls to annex it, most notably by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Since the start of the war in October 2023, Israeli troops or settler attacks have killed at least 900 Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Palestinian attacks and clashes during military raids have killed at least 32 Israelis over the same period, according to official figures. UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday rejected “calls for annexation” and said he was “gravely concerned by the rising violence.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that “we are closely watching developments, and cannot hide our concern when it comes to the West Bank.” Israel said on Sunday that its troops would remain for many months in the evacuated refugee camps in the northern West Bank — Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams — aiming to “prevent the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism,” according to Defense Minister Israel Katz. He put the number of displaced Palestinians at 40,000, the same figure provided by the United Nations which said the offensive has killed at least 51 Palestinians including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers. Islamic Jihad accused Israel of attempting to consolidate “military domination by creating settler corridors that reinforce the separation of West Bank cities and their camps.” The West Bank, excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, is home to around three million Palestinian as well as nearly half a million Israelis who live in settlements that are illegal under international law. Israeli tanks have not operated there since the end of the second Palestinian intifada, or “uprising,” in 2005.

JUBA: South Sudan’s peacebuilding minister was arrested on Thursday, the latest in a series of detentions targeting leaders allied with First Vice President Riek Machar. “The National Security Service (NSS) has struck again, arresting Hon. Stephen Par Kuol, Minister of Peacebuilding and Secretary General of the National Transitional Committee (NTC), from his office a few minutes ago,” Machar’s press secretary Puok Both Baluang wrote on Facebook. Kuol’s arrest follows that of the oil minister and deputy head of the army, also allies of Machar and senior members of his Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) party, in the last two days. The arrests have raised concerns about destabilising the fragile peace agreement between President Salva Kiir and Machar. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, ended a five-year civil war in 2018 with a power-sharing agreement between the two bitter rivals. Growing tensions have threatened to undo their unity government, particularly violent clashes in the northeastern Upper Nile State, where the government says there are ongoing clashes between the army and rebels backed by Machar’s forces. The United Nations has warned of increasing clashes in Upper Nile State involving the use of “heavy weaponry” and multiple deaths. Regional countries and Western embassies issued joint statements on Wednesday, calling for fighting to end. “Juba-based leaders must demonstrate their commitment to peaceful dialogue and should put the interest of the South Sudanese people first,” said the embassies, which included the United States, Britain and the European Union. There has also been criticism of political moves by Kiir, described by analysts as attempts to consolidate his position and sideline Machar. Last month, Kiir fired two of the five vice presidents in his unity government without consulting other stakeholders, and removed the governor of Western Equatoria State, a member of Machar’s movement.

DAMASCUS: A national dialogue conference held Tuesday in Damascus set out a path for the new Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad but did not receive support from Kurdish leaders, who were not invited. Among the principles agreed to was a state monopoly on arms, which came with Syria’s Kurds at odds with the new government over the future of their armed units. Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in a speech to attendees, said the country was at a “new historic phase” after more than a decade of civil war. A closing statement, which is expected to be advisory rather than binding, included 18 points that “will serve as a basis” for the reform of state institutions and touch on Syria’s political life, economy, defense policy and rights. The statement read out by Houda Atassi, a member of the conference’s preparatory committee, called for “a monopoly on weapons by the state” and a new professional national army. Any “armed formations outside the official institutions” would be “outlawed,” according to the statement — an implicit reference to Kurdish-led forces and other factions that have refused to lay down their arms since Assad’s toppling. It also rejected “provocative statements” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said his country “will not allow” Syrian armed forces to be deployed south of Damascus, and condemned “the Israeli incursion into Syrian territory.” While the conference was ongoing, protesters gathered in cities across Syria including the capital and Suwayda in the south to protest against Netanyahu, state news agency SANA reported. The statement also rejected “all forms of discrimination based on race, religion or sect and the achievement of the principle of equal opportunities.” Civil society, religious communities, opposition figures and artists were represented at the hastily organized conference — an initiative unheard of under Assad. However, officials from the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration that controls swathes of the country’s north and northeast criticized being shut out of the event, decrying the “token representation” for minority groups. The Kurdish administration said in a statement that it will “not be a part” of implementing the recommendations of the conference which “does not represent the Syrian people.” Addressing the conference earlier, Sharaa said: “Syria has invited all of you today... to consult with each other on the future of your country.” “Syria is indivisible; it is a complete whole, and its strength lies in its unity,” the interim president declared, adding that “the unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation.” Sharaa also said authorities would “work on forming a transitional justice body to restore people’s rights, ensure justice and, God willing, bring criminals to justice.”

DAMASCUS: Syria’s economy minister sat down with the Middle East director of the World Bank on Monday to discuss resuming cooperation with the lender, which was suspended under the toppled government of Bashar Assad, state media reported. Since ousting Assad in December, Syria’s new rulers have been trying to restore ties to international institutions to support the country’s reconstruction and revive its sanctions-hit economy. “The minister of economy, Mr. Bassel Abdel Hanan, discussed with World Bank’s director for the Middle East, Jean-Christophe Carret, the resumption of relations between the bank and Syria as well as the prospects for their development,” the official SANA news agency said. Abdel Hanan proposed the establishment of a “joint committee between the ministry and the bank to evaluate a new start.” He added that “the nature of the financing granted by the bank will determine the type of projects that will be financed,” pointing to the energy, agriculture, industry and infrastructure sectors in particular, SANA said. Abdel Hanan also said there was a need for “loans to manufacturers whose facilities have been destroyed so they can resume their activities, and raised the possibility of creating an investment fund to support industry, provided the (bank) offers sanctions in this area.” The World Bank had previously supported Syria with technical assistance and development advice, but suspended all of its operations after the civil war broke out in 2011. Since the fall of Assad, Syria has been urging the international community to drop sanctions imposed on the former government. The European Union on Monday eased sanctions on the energy, transport and banking sectors in a bid to help the country’s reconstruction. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani called the move “a step toward alleviating the suffering of our people.” A UN report published last week found that 90 percent of Syrians live in poverty — three times as many as before the war — while 75 percent rely on humanitarian aid. The country is expected to form a transitional cabinet on March 1.  

CAIRO: Doctors Without Borders on Monday halted its operations in Sudan’s famine-stricken Zamzam camp due to an escalation of attacks and fighting in the vicinity. The international medical aid group, also known by its French name Médecins Sans Frontières and acronym MSF, said fighting between the Sudanese military and its rival paramilitary the Rapid Support Forces intensified in the camp, located in North Darfur. The escalation made it “impossible” for the group to provide life-saving humanitarian needs to thousands of displaced people in the area, it said in a statement, adding it had suspended all activities in Zamzam, including at its field hospital. “Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is a heart breaking decision,” said Yahya Kalilah, the group’s head of mission in Sudan. Kalilah said that being close to violence, experiencing great difficulty in sending supplies, dealing with the “impossibility” of send experienced staff, and the uncertainty around routes out of the camp, left MSF with “little choice.” Sudan plunged into war when fighting began in April 2023 between the military and the RSF after simmering tensions. As a result of fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to the other parts of the country. The conflict that killed more than 24,000 people, forced over 14 million people out of their homes, and created famine across various parts of the country. The fighting in Zamzam ramped up on Feb. 11-12, according to the MSF. The field hospital received 130 wounded patients, most suffering from gunshot and shrapnel wounds. The MSF facility in Zamzam can’t provide trauma surgery for those in critical conditions as it was originally established to address the significant malnutrition crisis unfolding in the camp. Kalilah said that 11 patients died in the hospital, including five children, because staff couldn’t treat them properly or refer them to the local hospital in El Fasher, the regional capital. Access to water and food in the area has been more compromised because of the fighting, according to the MSF. The central market has been looted and burnt. Zamzam camp hosts around 500,000 people and has seen displaced families newly arriving from the areas of Abu Zerega, Shagra, and Saluma, who told MSF teams of abuses in villages and roads in the El Fasher locality that include killings, sexual violence, lootings, and beatings. “In January and December, two of our ambulances carrying patients from the camp to El Fasher were shot at,” Kalilah said. “Now it’s even more dangerous and as a result, many people, including patients requiring trauma surgery or emergency caesarean sections, are trapped in Zamzam.”

LONDON: Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Al-Safadi, attended a ministerial meeting in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to discuss regional and international issues with his counterparts from Gulf Cooperation Council member states and other Arab countries.

PARIS: France Thursday saluted an Arab plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, adding Islamist militant group Hamas should be “entirely” excluded from running it. The proposal that Arab leaders endorsed on Tuesday “constitutes a serious and credible basis to respond to reconstruction, governance and security needs after the Gaza war,” French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said. But “the plan must entirely exclude Hamas from governing Gaza, where it must be disarmed and give Israel serious security guarantees.”

MOSCOW/BEIRUT: Russia shipped a diesel cargo to the Syrian Arab Republic onboard a tanker under US sanctions, the first known such direct supply to the Middle Eastern country in more than a decade, LSEG data showed. The final destination of the cargo is unclear. Russia has two main military installations in Syria: an air base in Hmeimim and a naval base in Tartous, integral to Russia’s military reach in the Middle East and Africa. Russia’s control over the bases is under threat following the sudden fall of Bashar Assad last year. Moscow has said it wanted to keep its hold over them. According to LSEG data, the Barbados-flagged vessel Prosperity (previously known as Gabon-flagged NS Pride) was loaded with about 37,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel at the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on Feb. 8. The tanker is anchored near the Syrian port of Banias, LSEG shipping data shows. Fornax itself is also under the US sanctions. The company was not immediately available for comment. US sanctions on Russia since the start of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine have included measures aimed at limiting revenues from the country’s huge oil and gas industry and weakening its ability to fund the military efforts. The United States on January 10 added the Prosperity to the list of sanctioned vessels, which includes some 180 tankers, involved in the export of Russian oil products following its war in Ukraine. The EU and the UK followed suit on February 24. Violations of the US sanctions programs may result in civil and, in some cases, criminal penalties. In one such case, US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced last year a settlement of $7.45 million with the State Street Bank for “apparent violations” of the Russia and Ukraine-related sanctions. At the same time, the US issued a six-month waiver to its Syria sanctions, focused on the energy sector and financial transfers to Syrian governing authorities. Syrian oil ministry officials did not immediately respond to text messages seeking comment. Russia’s energy ministry declined to comment. This is the first direct diesel shipment from Russia to Syria since at least 2013, according to LSEG data. Syria also issued an import tender for 20,000 tons of LPG and was seeking to import oil as no crude shipments have arrived from Iran, its key supplier, since November, according to data from shipping analytics firm Kpler. Syria has two oil refineries, located in Homs and Banias, which ceased operating after Assad’s fall.

DAMASCUS: Syria’s new interim president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, said he plans to establish a transitional justice committee, in a speech Tuesday after the opening of a national dialogue conference. Sharaa, whose Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham toppled longtime president Bashar Assad in December, also emphasized the unity of Syria and the state’s “monopoly” on weapons. The national dialogue conference, held in the presidential palace in Damascus, marks the start of a crucial phase for the country’s future governance after a devastating civil war. “Over the past two months, we have worked on pursuing those who committed crimes against Syrians,” Sharaa told the gathering. “We will work on forming a transitional justice body to restore people’s rights, ensure justice, and, God willing, bring criminals to justice. “The unity of arms and their monopoly by the state is not a luxury but a duty and an obligation,” the interim leader said. “Syria is indivisible; it is a complete whole, and its strength lies in its unity.” Hundreds of people were seen arriving for the conference in footage published by the official SANA news agency, before discussions got underway.

BEIT LAHIYA, Gaza Strip: When night falls over northern Gaza, much of the cityscape of collapsed buildings and piled wreckage turns pitch black. Living inside the ruins of their home, Rawya Tamboura’s young sons get afraid of the dark, so she turns on a flashlight and her phone’s light to comfort them, for as long as the batteries last. Displaced for most of the 16-month-long war, Tamboura is back in her house. But it is still a frustrating shell of a life, she says: There is no running water, electricity, heat or services, and no tools to clear the rubble around them. Nearly 600,000 Palestinians flooded back into northern Gaza under the now month-old ceasefire in Gaza, according to the United Nations. After initial relief and joy at being back at their homes – even if damaged or destroyed – they now face the reality of living in the wreckage for the foreseeable future. “Some people wish the war had never ended, feeling it would have been better to be killed,” Tamboura said. “I don’t know what we’ll do long-term. My brain stopped planning for the future.” The six-week ceasefire is due to end Saturday, and it’s uncertain what will happen next. There are efforts to extend the calm as the next phase is negotiated. If fighting erupts again, those who returned to the north could find themselves once again in the middle of it. A massive rebuilding job has no way to start A report last week by the World Bank, UN and European Union estimated it will cost some $53 billion to rebuild Gaza after entire neighborhoods were decimated by Israel’s bombardment and offensives against Hamas militants. At the moment, there is almost no capacity or funding to start significant rebuilding. A priority is making Gaza immediately livable. Earlier in February, Hamas threatened to hold up hostage releases unless more tents and temporary shelters were allowed into Gaza. It then reversed and accelerated hostage releases after Israel agreed to let in mobile homes and construction equipment. Humanitarian agencies have stepped up services, setting up free kitchens and water delivery stations, and distributing tents and tarps to hundreds of thousands across Gaza, according to the UN President Donald Trump turned up the pressure by calling for the entire population of Gaza to be removed permanently so the US can take over the territory and redevelop it for others. Rejecting the proposal, Palestinians say they want help to rebuild for themselves. Gaza City’s municipality started fixing some water lines and clearing rubble from streets, said a spokesperson, Asem Alnabih. But it lacks heavy equipment. Only a few of its 40 bulldozers and five dump trucks still work, he said. Gaza is filled with over 50 million tons of rubble that would take 100 trucks working at full capacity over 15 years to clear away, the UN estimates. Families try to get by day by day Tamboura’s house in the northern town of Beit Lahiya was destroyed by an airstrike early in the war, so she and her family lived in the nearby Indonesian Hospital, where she worked as a nurse. After the ceasefire, they moved back into the only room in her house that was semi-intact. The ceiling is partially collapsed, the walls are cracked; the surviving fridge and sink are useless with no water or electricity. They stack their sheets and blankets in a corner. Tamboura said her 12-year-old son lugs heavy containers of water twice a day from distribution stations. They also have to find firewood for cooking. The influx of aid means there is food in the markets and prices went down, but it remains expensive, she said. With the Indonesian Hospital too damaged to function, Tamboura walks an hour each day to work at the Kamal Adwan Hospital. She charges her and her husband’s phones using the hospital generator. Many of Tamboura’s relatives returned to find nothing left of their homes, so they live in tents on or next to the rubble that gets blown away by winter winds or flooded during rains, she said. Asmaa Dwaima and her family returned to Gaza City but had to rent an apartment because their home in the Tel Al-Hawa neighborhood was destroyed. It was only weeks after returning that she went to visit their four-story house, now a pile of flattened and burned wreckage. “I couldn’t come here because I was afraid. I had an image of my house in my mind – its beauty, and warmth. ... I was afraid to face this truth,” the 25-year-old dentist said. “They don’t just destroy stone, they are destroying us and our identity.” Her family had to rebuild the house once before, when it was leveled by airstrikes during a round of fighting between Israel and Hamas in 2014, she said. For the time being, they have no means to rebuild now. “We need to remove the rubble because we want to pull out clothes and some of our belongings,” she said. “We need heavy equipment … There are no bricks or other construction tools and, if available, it’s extremely expensive.” Desperation is growing Tess Ingram, a spokesperson with UNICEF who visited northern Gaza since the ceasefire, said the families she met are “grieving the lives that they used to live as they begin to rebuild.” Their desperation, she said, “is becoming more intense.” Huda Skaik, a 20-year-old student, is sharing a room with her three siblings and parents at her grandparents’ house in Gaza City. It’s an improvement from life in the tent camps of central Gaza where they were displaced for much of the war, she said. There, they had to live among strangers, and their tent was washed away by rain. At least here they have walls and are with family, she said. Before the war interrupted, Skaik had just started studying English literature at Gaza’s Islamic University. She is now enrolled in online classes the university is organizing. But the Internet is feeble, and her electricity relies on solar panels that don’t always work. “The worst part is that we’re just now grasping that we lost it all,” she said. “The destruction is massive, but I’m trying to remain positive.”

TEL AVIV, Israel: Israel on Monday denied entry to two European Union lawmakers, accusing one of promoting boycotts of the country. Lynn Boylan, who chairs the European Parliament EU-Palestine delegation, and Rima Hassan were refused entry at Ben-Gurion airport and ordered to return to Europe. Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said French politician Hassan has “consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews.” No reasons were immediately given for Boylan being denied entry. Hassan was born in Aleppo, Syria, and, like Boylan, is a member of The Left group in the EU parliament. On Friday, The Left group called for the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement – a pact that underpins their relations – given the International Court of Justice investigation into crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza. Boylan said she had planned to meet with Palestinian Authority officials, representatives of civil society organizations and people living under Israeli occupation. Boylan is a member of the Sinn Fein party in Ireland, which has been among the most vocal countries in criticizing the Israeli government over its treatment of Palestinians. “This utter contempt from Israel is the result of the international community failing to hold them to account,” Boylan said in a statement. “Israel is a rogue state, and this disgraceful move shows the level of utter disregard that they have for international law. Europe must now hold Israel to account.” Israeli legislators passed a law this month that prohibits entry to people who have denied Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack or expressed support for the international prosecution of Israeli soldiers. The law, which applies to non-citizens and non-residents of Israel, builds on previous legislation that denied entry to anyone calling for a boycott of Israel. The law also bans the entry of Holocaust deniers. The original law was seen by opponents as an attempt by Israel to silence critics. It was used on multiple occasions to bar entry to activists who support the Palestinian-led boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, known as BDS. Supporters portray BDS as nonviolent activism based on a similar campaign against apartheid South Africa. Israel views the movement as an attack on its very legitimacy and accuses some organizers of antisemitism, allegations they deny. Hassan, who hails from the French hard-left France Unbowed, called for a rally outside EU headquarters where the meeting took place on Monday, and where some protesters had gathered. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar was on a diplomatic visit to Brussels for the EU-Israel Association Council. The council does not meet frequently, and Monday’s meeting was called amid pressure from Spain and Ireland to suspend the forum over Israel’s actions in Gaza. Saar met with several European leaders in Brussels. Earlier on Monday, Saar told reporters Israel was used to facing criticism and ready to approach all discussions with an open mind. “It’s OK as long as the criticism is not connected to the delegitimization, demonization or double standards, which from time to time are things we see in the attacks against Israel,” he said.