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Syria Welcomes Repeal of the ‘Caesar Act,’ Sees Step Toward Economic Recovery and Reconstruction

People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
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Syria Welcomes Repeal of the ‘Caesar Act,’ Sees Step Toward Economic Recovery and Reconstruction

People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)
People gather during a march marking the first anniversary of the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Idlib (EPA)

Syria’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed a vote by the US House of Representatives a day earlier in favor of repealing the Caesar Act, under which the United States imposed sanctions on former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, describing the move as a “pivotal milestone” that opens a new path for cooperation.

In a statement, the ministry said the House vote, along with an anticipated vote in the US Senate next week, lays the groundwork for “a phase of tangible improvement in import activity, the availability of basic goods and medical supplies, and the creation of suitable conditions for reconstruction projects and the revitalization of the national economy.”

“This development represents a pivotal milestone in rebuilding trust and opening a new path for cooperation, paving the way for broader economic recovery and the return of opportunities that the Syrian people were denied for years as a result of sanctions,” the statement added.

The ministry expressed hope that the forthcoming Senate vote would lead to “the completion of the full repeal of the restrictive framework and the opening of new horizons for cooperation” between Syria and the United States.

The US House of Representatives has approved the repeal of sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, a step that effectively clears the way to close the sanctions file and enables international and financial institutions to resume dealings with Damascus.

The move came after the House approved the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes provisions repealing the Caesar Act sanctions. The NDAA is expected to be passed by the end of the year and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The Caesar Act, enacted in 2019, imposed sweeping sanctions on Syria targeting individuals, companies and institutions linked to Assad, who ruled the country from 2000 until his ouster in 2024 by armed opposition factions led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s current president.

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Arab World

Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
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Türkiye-Syria Border Gate to Reopen After 12-Year Closure

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)
The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014. (AP)

One of the border crossings between Türkiye and Syria is to reopen on Tuesday, ending a 12-year closure, local officials said Monday.

The reopening of the Akcakale crossing, which sits roughly in the middle of Türkiye's 900-kilometer (550-mile) border with Syria, is the latest step in Damascus's move towards normalization with its neighbors.

The crossing, which lies just over the border from Tal Abyad in northern Syria, was closed by Türkiye in 2014 after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) took over the town following the defeat of the ISIS group.

Türkiye has long viewed the SDF as linked to the Kurdish militant PKK and a major threat along its southern border.

It was partially reopened in 2019 for trade, funerals and the crossing of government officials after a Turkish military operation against ISIS and Kurdish fighters.

The decision will now mean the crossing is open to civilians.

"In light of the normalization of life in the region... entry and exit procedures using passports to and from the Syrian Arab Republic via the Akcakale Land Border Crossing will start on Tuesday," the Sanliurfa governor's office said in a statement.

The move will mean six of the 12 crossings between Türkiye and Syria will be open.

Türkiye has forged close ties with Syria's new rulers, with President Ahmed al-Sharaa joining a diplomacy forum in Türkiye's southern Antalya resort in April.

Arab World

Lebanon Urges US to Put Pressure on Israel to Stop Attacks and Demolitions

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike on a southern Lebanon village as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike on a southern Lebanon village as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
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Lebanon Urges US to Put Pressure on Israel to Stop Attacks and Demolitions

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike on a southern Lebanon village as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli strike on a southern Lebanon village as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)

Lebanon's president has urged the United States to put pressure on Israel to cease fire and stop home demolitions in south Lebanon, the presidency said on Monday, as the death toll from Israeli attacks rose.

Lebanon's health ministry said 74 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the last three days despite a truce announced last month in fighting between Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli military, a spokesperson said.

Tehran said it had demanded security for Lebanon as part of a proposal for ending the wider war with the US and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. US President Donald Trump has rejected Iran's proposal.

The Hezbollah-Israel conflict reignited on ‌March 2 when ‌the group opened fire at Israel in support of Tehran.

Hostilities ‌have ⁠continued since Trump ⁠declared a ceasefire on April 16, mostly in south Lebanon, where Israel is occupying a self-declared security zone, saying it aims to guard against Hezbollah attacks.

The Lebanese health ministry spokesperson said the victims since Saturday had been killed in various Israeli strikes, including one that killed at least seven people in the southern town of Saksakiyeh.

It said 2,869 people had been killed since March 2, including 584 medics, women and minors. Its toll does not say how many combatants are among ⁠the dead.

WASHINGTON TO HOST THIRD ROUND OF TALKS

Lebanese President Joseph ‌Aoun, in a meeting with US Ambassador to Lebanon ‌Michel Issa, "stressed ... the necessity of pressure on Israel to halt fire and military operations and the destruction ‌and bulldozing of homes", the presidency said.

Israel has been demolishing villages in the ‌south, saying it is acting against Hezbollah fighters embedded in civilian areas.

Aoun and Issa also reviewed "developments related" to a third round of talks due in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli government representatives, the presidency said.

Washington last month hosted two rounds of talks between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington, the highest-level ‌contacts between Israel and Lebanon in decades. The US will facilitate the third round on May 14 and 15, the State Department ⁠said.

Lebanon's delegation will ⁠be headed by former ambassador to Washington Simon Karam. Aoun, who nominated Karam for the role, gave him his directives during a meeting on Saturday, the presidency said.

Beirut's decision to hold face-to-face contacts with Israel reflects a deep divide in Lebanon over Hezbollah's arsenal and the group's decision to attack Israel.

Critics accuse the group of unilaterally dragging Lebanon into war. Hezbollah has demanded the government cancel the talks.

Israel last week carried out its first strike on Beirut's Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs since the ceasefire was declared. Israel says the strike killed the commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force. Hezbollah has not confirmed his death.

Israel says Hezbollah has launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel since March 2. Some 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes in Lebanon, many of them fleeing from the south.

Israel says 17 of its soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, along with two civilians in northern Israel.

Arab World

Israel Sentences 2 Soldiers to Military Prison for Desecration of Christian Statue in Lebanon

Israeli troops maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
Israeli troops maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
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Israel Sentences 2 Soldiers to Military Prison for Desecration of Christian Statue in Lebanon

Israeli troops maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)
Israeli troops maneuver on the Lebanese side of the border, as seen from the Upper Galilee on the Israel-Lebanon border, 11 May 2026. (EPA)

Israel’s military said Monday that two soldiers will spend weeks in military prison for the desecration of a Christian statue in southern Lebanon.

One soldier, who stuck a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary, was sentenced to 21 days and a soldier who filmed the incident was sentenced to 14 days, a military spokesperson said.

“The army views the incident with great severity and respects freedom of religion and worship, as well as holy sites and religious symbols of all religions and communities,” Lt. Col. Ariella Mazor wrote on X.

The incident came days after images of an Israeli soldier wielding an ax against a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross in the southern village of Debel sparked widespread condemnation. Soldiers who participated in hacking down the crucifix also received time in military prison.

Israeli forces occupied the area during the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the Iran-backed Lebanese group fired missiles over the border two days after the US and Israel launched their war with Iran. Israel then launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon and its forces have remained despite a weekslong truce.

Israel's military says it only targets buildings that were used as outposts by the Iran-backed group.

The scale of destruction has Lebanese officials and residents worried that large numbers of people displaced by the latest war will have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds.