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The State Department said Monday it will lift Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization, months after the group’s leader defeated the Assad regime and swept to power as Syria’s president.

The change will take effect on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. The group, formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra, has been on the U.S.’s list of foreign terrorist organizations for more than a decade, dating back to its affiliation with al Qaeda. The terrorist designation makes it harder for the group or its leaders to accept assistance from Americans, work with American banks or travel to the U.S.

Rubio said the revocation of the group’s terrorist status “recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.”

Led by al-Sharaa, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, helped lead a stunning offensive that swept into Damascus late last year, ending the Assad family’s 54-year grip on Syria. Since then, al-Sharaa has served as Syria’s interim president, and has sought to portray his government as a moderate and inclusive force — and a possible bulwark against Iranian influence.

Al-Sharaa said earlier this year that HTS will be disbanded, along with all the other rebel groups that fought the Assad government during Syria’s bloody 13-year civil war. Rubio cited that move, and the new government’s “commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms,” in his decision to lift the terrorist designation.

President Trump made a surprise announcement in May that he would lift sanctions against Syria, a significant boost to the country’s new government. Syria had faced severe U.S. sanctions for more than a decade, a holdover from the Assad family’s brutal dictatorial rule that restricted Syria’s economy and made it difficult to accept foreign money.

Mr. Trump also met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May.

“Young, attractive guy, tough guy, strong past,” Mr. Trump said about the new Syrian leader.

But HTS’s past as a hardline Islamist rebel group has made some observers wary. Al-Sharaa participated in the insurgency against U.S. forces in Iraq in the 2000s, before he was sent to Syria to help lead the al Qaeda-allied Jabhat al-Nusra in the fight against Bashar al-Assad’s government. Jabhat al-Nusra was designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization in 2014, and al-Sharaa had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head until last year.

More than a decade ago, the group broke with insurgent leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and refused to merge with his now-infamous organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Since 2016, al-Sharaa’s group has distanced itself from al Qaeda, and al-Sharaa has said he disagrees with some of the global terrorist organization’s methods. He told PBS’s “Frontline” in 2021, “our involvement with al Qaeda in the past was an era, and it ended.”

Young campers at Camp Mystic and a dad saving his family were among the dozens killed in the historic flash floods that tore through central Texas over the holiday weekend.

Here’s what we know about the lives lost:

Chloe Childress

Chloe Childress, a counselor at Camp Mystic, was set to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall.

She “lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith,” her family said in a statement. “Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic.”

Jonathan Eades, the head of The Kinkaid School, from which she graduated earlier this year, remembered Childress as someone who had a “remarkable way of making people feel seen” and “steady compassion that settled a room.”

“Whether it was sharing her own challenges to ease someone’s burden or quietly cheering a teammate or classmate through a tough day, Chloe made space for others to feel safe, valued, and brave. She understood what it meant to be part of a community, and more than that, she helped build one,” Eades wrote in a letter to the school community.

Childress “lost her life upholding this selfless and fierce commitment to others,” Eades said.

“A loyal and beloved friend to all who knew her, Chloe led with empathy. Her honesty gave others the courage to speak up. Her resilience helped others push through. Her joy, so present in all the little things, reminded all who knew her to keep showing up with heart,” he said.

Jane Ragsdale

Jane Ragsdale was the director of the Heart O’ the Hills Camp for Girls.

“We at the camp are stunned and deeply saddened by Jane’s death,” Heart O’ the Hills Camp said in a statement. “She embodied the spirit of Heart O’ the Hills and was exactly the type of strong, joyful woman that the camp aimed to develop with the girls entrusted to us each summer.”

Julian Ryan

Julian Ryan, 27, died after trying to help his family escape their trailer home in Ingram, according to his sister, Connie Salas.

Ryan and his fiancée woke up early Friday to ankle-deep water inside their home, and within moments, the water surged to waist level, she said.

As their mattress began to float, the couple placed their 13-month-old and 6-year-old sons on top for safety, Salas said. The bedroom door, swollen shut from water pressure, would not open.

In a desperate attempt to escape, Ryan tried to break a window and suffered a severe cut to his arm, Salas said.

He began to bleed profusely, Salas said, and as the water rose to their chins, Ryan’s mother shouted for help.

Ryan lost consciousness before help could arrive, she said.

“I love you. I’m so sorry,” were Ryan’s last words to his fiancée when he realized he wasn’t going to survive, the family said.

“He didn’t die in vain,” Salas told ABC News. “He died a hero.”

Katheryn Eads

Katheryn Eads and her husband were camping in an RV when they got separated in the floodwaters, her daughter said.

“Dr. Katheryn Eads lived a fulfilling life, cut far too short,” the Eads family said in a statement. “She was an incredible wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, and person who spent her life helping kids, from those in the foster care system early in her career to those in school, both in early education as a psychologist and in college as a professor. Trying to figure out our lives without her is a possibility we never planned to face and we will always miss her.”

Hanna Lawrence and Rebecca Lawrence

Camp Mystic victims Hanna Lawrence and Rebecca Lawrence were 8-year-old twin sisters from Dallas.

Their 14-year-old sister, Harper, survived the flooding, their family said.

“It has been an unimaginable time for all of us,” their grandfather, David Lawrence Jr., said. “Hanna and Rebecca gave their parents John and Lacy and sister Harper, and all in our family, so much joy. They and that joy can never be forgotten.”

Sarah Marsh

Sarah Marsh, 8, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was a camper at Camp Mystic, Mountain Brook Mayor Stewart Welch said.

“This is an unimaginable loss for her family, her school, and our entire community. Sarah’s passing is a sorrow shared by all of us, and our hearts are with those who knew and loved her,” the mayor said in a statement.

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt wrote on social media that she’s “keeping her family in our thoughts and prayers during this unimaginable time.”

Dick Eastland

Dick Eastland, who served as the longtime director of Camp Mystic with his wife, died trying to save the lives of his campers, according to public officials.

“If he wasn’t going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,” his grandson, George Eastland, wrote on Instagram. “A husband, father, grandfather, and mentor to thousands of young women, he no longer walks this earth, but his impact will never leave the lives he touched.”

He called his grandfather a “dear friend, fishing buddy, hunting guide, golf partner, avid Texas Longhorns fanatic, my #1 fan, and above all else: a hero.”

“What I’ll take most from you is your positive attitude, servant heart, and ability to remain faithful in the toughest of times,” George Eastland wrote. “Through battling cancer to the death of your son James, you showed me what a strong Christian man looks like. You loved others when they didn’t love you back, and were so quick to help out when anyone at camp had the slightest inconveniences. Although I am devastated, I can’t say I’m surprised that you sacrificed your life with the hopes of someone else’s being saved.”

He “made everyone feel safe and seen,” former Camp Mystic counselor Ryan Robinson told ABC News Live.

“He is just truly the most selfless, kind, father figure to thousands of girls,” Robinson said. “I had the privilege of teaching the fishing class with him at Camp Mystic, and those are truly some of my favorite life memories. I felt lucky every single day that I got to talk to Dick.”

Janie Hunt

Janie Hunt, 9, was also among the victims. Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter said Janie was cousins with his granddaughters, who survived the flooding.

“God of grace & comfort, we thank you for our precious little niece, Janie Hunt. Thank you for the special place she held in all our hearts,” Janie’s aunt, Libby Hunt, wrote on social media. “We thank you for the love in which she was born and for the care in which she was given by her loving parents.”

“As we remember times of love & laughter, we thank you for the sweet love we all shared with darling, little Janie,” she continued. “We continue to pray for, Camp Mystic, The Hill Country & for those that have passed away & their families & those that are still missing.”

Blair Harber and Brooke Harber

Sisters Blair Harber, 13, and Brooke Harber, 11, who were staying with their family near the Guadalupe River, were in the loft of their cabin with their rosaries when the flooding began, according to the St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas. The sisters’ bodies were found together 15 miles away the next day.

Blair, a rising eighth grader, “had the kindest heart and loved to serve others,” the St. Rita Catholic Community said in a statement.

She was an “outstanding student” who took advanced classes, the statement said, and she “served as a Student Ambassador, proudly guiding prospective families through the school.”

She participated in yearbook, speech and drama, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and cheerleading, the statement said, and was planning to audition for the lead role in the eighth grade play.

Brooke, a rising sixth grader, was also an “excellent student” and was an “accomplished soccer, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse player,” the statement said.

“She, too, loved speech and drama and had a particular gift for improv that brought smiles and laughter to those around her,” the statement said. “Brooke never met a stranger and loved everyone she met.”

Reece Zunker and Paula Zunker

Reece Zunker, a soccer coach and teacher in Kerrville, Texas, and his wife, Paula Zunker, both died in the flooding, according to the Kerrville Independent School District.

Their children were reported missing, the district said.

Reece Zunker’s soccer team called him a “mentor, teacher and a role model” who “rebuilt the soccer program and left a legacy.”

“Reece was a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach,” the school district said in a statement. “His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten. Paula, a former Tivy teacher, also left a lasting mark on our community. The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later.”

Jeff Wilson

Jeff Wilson, a high school teacher of three decades in Humble, Texas, died in the floods, and his wife and son were reported missing, his brother-in-law said, according to the Humble Independent School District.

Wilson “was a beloved teacher and co-worker to many and will be deeply missed,” the school district said. “Please continue to keep their entire family, and ours, in your prayers.”

Hamas announced it has submitted a “positive response” to the mediators about the current ceasefire and hostage exchange release proposal on the table.

How the proposal will be implemented will require another round of negotiations, according to the group.

“The movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework,” Hamas said.

The deal comes more than 20 months into the conflict — and more than three months after a previous deal ended.

Israel had expected a response from Hamas on the ceasefire and hostage deal by Friday, an Israeli official told ABC News.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office addressed the Hamas response to the ceasefire proposal on the table, saying in a statement, “the changes Hamas are requesting to make” to it are “unacceptable to Israel.”

Nonetheless, the office said a negotiating team will leave Sunday for Doha, Qatar, to continue negotiations on the proposal.

“After assessing the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed to accept the invitation for proximity talks and to continue the negotiations to return our hostages on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel agreed to,” the office said.

Earlier this week, a Hamas adviser said the group was still studying the proposal.

“Hamas is open to any proposal that will end the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, but Hamas wants guarantees that Israel will commit to moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement after the first phase, which is set to last for 60 days,” said Taher Al-Nounou, media adviser to the head of Hamas.

What’s in the deal?

The revised temporary ceasefire deal on the table now deals with the release of more hostages by Hamas, according to two Israeli sources familiar with the matter.

The deal calls for the release of 10 living hostages from Hamas captivity and the return of 15 bodies of hostages being held by the terrorist group.

It is believed there are about 20 living hostages still being held by Hamas.

According to the terms of the proposal, the release of the 10 living hostages and 15 bodies will be staggered over the 60-day period the temporary ceasefire is in effect.

Under the terms of the deal, Hamas will not hold ceremonies for the hostage releases, as they did during a previous six-week ceasefire.

Discussion of a permanent ceasefire will take place during the 60-day period.

Even after Hamas responds to the proposal, there are still several issues that remain to be addressed, one of the sources said — including the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages.

In many rounds of negotiations, Hamas has sought a guaranteed end to the war in Gaza — but that remained a chief sticking point in recent negotiations and something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not agreed to budge on.

President Donald Trump announced earlier this week that Israel had agreed to conditions for the 60-day ceasefire in Gaza.

Trump said representatives from Qatar and Egypt would deliver the final proposal to Hamas, which came after a “long and productive meeting” between Trump officials and Israeli officials in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The latest deal comes after months of negotiations over a ceasefire led in part by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff.

In May, the White House submitted an Israeli-approved proposal for a 60-day ceasefire to Hamas, but the deal stalled.

At the time, Trump urged both Israel and Hamas to make a deal ahead of and during his first foreign policy trip of his second term in office to the Middle East. Ultimately, a deal was not reached, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ramped up attacks on Gaza after Trump left the region

In January, a six-week temporary ceasefire went into effect, resulting in the release of dozens of captives held by Hamas and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners.

However, that ceasefire ended on March 18 when Israel resumed military operations against Hamas in Gaza, with Israel citing the failure to release the remaining hostages and saying the military was targeting Hamas terrorists who posed a threat to Israeli troops and citizens.

The Israeli government also imposed a blockade on humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip on March 2 that lasted for 11 weeks and ended on May 19.

The Israel-Hamas war has taken a grim human toll. Since the war began, nearly 56,000 people in Gaza have been killed and more than 131,000 have been wounded, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas-led terrorist attack on southern Israel. Hundreds more were taken hostage. At least 20 living hostages are believed to still remain in Hamas captivity.

Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly was pressed by a reporter as to why evacuations didn’t take place Thursday, but the judge said, “We didn’t know this flood was coming.” Officials said the county does not have a warning system on the river.

“We have floods all the time. This is the most dangerous river valley in the United States, and we deal with floods on a regular basis. When it rains, we get water. We had no reason to believe that this was going to be anything like what’s happened here, none whatsoever,” he said.

Rain continued to hit the region Saturday, prompting flash flood emergency warnings for much of Burnet County and western parts of Williamson County and Travis County.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an expanded emergency declaration that added Texas counties impacted by the disastrous flooding. The new declaration now includes Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis and Williamson counties, Abbott said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.

“We will be relentless and going after and ensuring that we locate every single person who’s been a victim of this flooding event. We’re not going to stop today or tomorrow. We will stop when the job is completed,” Abbott said.

Abbott also signed a request for a federal emergency declaration.

“Know that President Trump is absolutely heartbroken by what has happened here in Texas, and the loss of life is absolutely devastating to him and Melania,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at the press conference.