“As HTS takes on greater responsibilities, we will need to assess not just their words, but also their actions,” a spokesman said.

The European Union said Monday that it has no direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, ‘’Organisation for the Liberation of the Levant”), the Islamist rebel group that led the offensive that toppled Syrian President Bashir al-Assad’s regime in Syria.

But a spokesperson of the European Commission said that this position could be reviewed on the basis of the group’s actions.

“The European Union is not currently engaging with HTS or its leaders. Full stop,” Anouar El Anouni, the spokesperson for foreign affairs said at the middeay briefing.

“As HTS takes on greater responsibilities, we will need to assess not just their words, but also their actions,” he added.

HTS is on the EU’s official list of terrorist groups since 2014.

”What I can say at this stage is that a lifting under the EU terrorist list is not planned currently,’’ the spokesman said.

For removing the group from the list, unanimity is needed within the EU Council.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, led by Abu Mohammed al-Jolani , is rooted in Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch but broke ties with the group in 2016.

The rebel offensive in Syria, which led to the rapid fall of Assad’s regime, unfolded very quickly and involved a multitude of organizations with diverse identities and ideologies, each influenced by different factors, writes the Alma Research Center in Israel.

‘’Four main entities are operating in Syria, all of which played a significant role in toppling the Assad regime. Each of these entities functions as a meta-coalition, encompassing numerous organizations with varying structures and ideological orientations,’’ it said.

EU Foreign Ministers are expected to discuss the issue of Syria at their next meeting on Monday. This will be the first Foreign Affairs Council under the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas.