🇪🇺🇸🇾 Eight EU member states call for Syria policy reset

A group of eight member states has called on the EU to “review and assess” its approach to Syria ahead of a broader discussion on the situation in the Middle East between European Union foreign ministers on Monday (22 July).

“Our goal is a more active, outcome-driven, and operational Syria policy,” foreign ministers of Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia wrote in a letter, seen by Euractiv, to the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell.

“This would allow us to increase our political leverage [and] the effectiveness of our humanitarian assistance,” they add.

In the letter, they proposed ten areas that should be discussed “openly and without prejudice”, outlined in a separate non-paper.

They also pitched the creation of an EU-Syria envoy, who would be tasked with re-engaging the Syrian ambassador to Brussels and liaising with both Syrian and regional actors.

Other ten areas include a strategic exchange with Arab partners, the further development of the EU’s early recovery approach, dealing with the unintended negative effects of EU sanctions, and creating conditions for the return of migrants to Syria.

“After 13 years of war, we have to admit that our Syria policy has not aged well,” Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said.

“Bitter as it is, with the help of Iran and Russia, the Assad regime remains firmly in the saddle, the Syrian opposition is fragmented or in exile altogether – the European Union cannot turn a blind eye to this reality any longer,” Schallenberg added.

🔗 https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/eight-eu-member-states-call-for-syria-policy-reset/

🇮🇱 - Loud explosion heard over Haifa and Acre.
no sirens activated

🇮🇱 - A plane appeared in the picture of Netanyahu leaving to the USA to deliver a speech in Congress, and behind it was the load of ammunition and equipment during its unloading in Ben Gurion international airport

🤔🇮🇱🇮🇱 - IDF spokesperson:

A short time ago, an interception missle was launched in Haifa area, which turned out to be a false target. No alert was activated according to policy, there is no fear of a security incident.

israeli police says it's a flock of birds

🇮🇱❌🇱🇧 - Hezbollah says in support to Palestinian people and in response to the Israeli attack that targeted civilians in the town of Haneen and injured a family there, they added the settlement of "Tsoreal" to their range of fire settlements, and bombed it for the first time with dozens of Katyusha rockets. ‏

🇮🇶‼️ — Urgent: An explosion sounded in the officers area, Mahalle 883, in Baghdad.

🇹🇬❌🏴 - JNIM releases an infographic of their terrorist attack against a Togolese base north of the country.

They only claimed 6 soldiers killed, which is about half of the initial estimates, the most notable acquisition is the large number of 27 rifles of very good condition and vehicles.

🔗SahelianAnalyst

🇨🇳🤝🇵🇸 - it now has been announced officially:
Chinese Foreign Minister: Palestinian factions agree to form a “reconciliation government.”

😯 - one of the issues that the factions had with these steps when joining a joint government for all factions, is the recognition of Israel (since PLO recognised it in Oslo), since they now have agreed, I'd believe the new government/PLO will withdraw it's recognition, Israel has passed a law last week banning the recognition of a palestinian state which opposes Oslo.

🇮🇱❌🇵🇸 - Israeli Foreign Minister: The Beijing Agreement will not be implemented because Hamas rule will be destroyed and Abu Mazen (PA president) will only see Gaza from afar.