Normalisation might be a step too far, but a return to a peace deal may be in sight. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/will-syria-normalise-relations-with-israel

Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a peace agreement on Friday in Washington, D.C. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2025/07/222674/rwanda-democratic-republic-of-congo-sign-peace-treaty-in-washington/

The move is part of a wider effort to rehabilitate the war-torn country and reduce upheaval in the Middle East. https://www.semafor.com/article/07/01/2025/trump-ends-most-syria-sanctions

Foreign minister says Friday’s agreement has given ‘huge impetus’ for peace, but talks with M23 militia are critical https://www.ft.com/content/f1c94754-297d-4ae7-a691-c6fb46039efe

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine, a local official said Tuesday, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy… https://wtop.com/russia-ukraine-war-news/2025/07/ukrainian-drone-strikes-a-russian-plant-after-record-russian-drone-attacks-in-june/

Since the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in December 2024, as a result of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s (HTS) Operation Deterrence of Aggression, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has initiated a transitional governance process in Syria, intended to extricate the nation from the prolonged cycle of civil war that has ravaged it since 2011. Yet, this process has […] https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-2025-july-1/

The cafe, one of the few businesses to continue operating during the 20-month war, was a gathering spot for residents seeking internet access and a place to charge their phones. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/01/nx-s1-5452994/israel-gaza-hamas-cafe-airstrike-aid

President Trump has signed an executive order terminating US sanctions on Syria, as part of efforts to boost the nation's struggling economy and support the new government after rebels overthrew President Bashar Al-Assad last year. Dalia Fahmy, Director of International Relations & Diplomacy at Long Island University spoke to Bloomberg's Lizzy Burden on Horizons Middle East and Africa about the relations between Israel and Syria. (Source: Bloomberg) https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2025-07-01/fahmy-syria-distancing-from-israel-negotiating-via-us-video

Death to the IDF' Chants at Glastonbury Spark Police Probe

US President Donald Trump officialised a remarkable pivot in US-Syria relations by enacting his promise to lift most sanctions on the "transformed" post-Assad Syria, seeking as Trump pushes for normalised… https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250630-trump-formally-lifts-syria-sanctions-eyeing-ties-with-israel

US Treasury says it removed 518 Syrian individuals and entities from its list of sanctions after president’s decree. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/30/trump-formally-orders-lifting-of-syria-sanctions

The White House said it would monitor the new Syrian government's actions including "taking concrete steps toward normalising ties with Israel" https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c14eekydmjxo

Move will allow the U.S. to maintain sanctions on Bashar al-Assad, human rights abusers, terror groups and Iranian proxies https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2025-07-01/ty-article/trump-signs-order-lifting-sanctions-on-syria-white-house-says/00000197-c2cb-dcd7-a597-efcb79820000

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Russia-appointed official in Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region said Monday that Moscow’s forces have overrun all of it — one of four regions Russia illegally anne… https://www.news10.com/news/international/ap-german-foreign-minister-visits-kyiv-pledges-continued-support-for-ukraine/

Could Peace with Syria Be Next?

BREAKING: IDF Captures MASSIVE Hamas Terror Cell As Iran Buries Top Military Leaders | TBN Israel

Israel and Syria are in security talks with major challenges, aiming for peace but facing hurdles that could lead to a 'cold peace' rather than full reconciliation. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-859543

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/06/providing-for-the-revocation-of-syria-sanctions/

The fall of the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has opened a window for wealthy Gulf countries to expand their influence as the sway of Iran diminishes. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/world/middleeast/gulf-states-invest-syria-iran.html

A senior Trump administration official described Israel’s modern borders as being drawn along “illusory” lines during wide-ranging remarks in which he also raised doubt over the survival of some Mi… https://thehill.com/policy/international/5377340-trump-administration-israel-border-remarks/