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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Correspondent for Egypt's Al-Qahera News:
– "The expanded session includes Egypt’s intelligence chief, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, and Turkey’s intelligence chief."
– "The expanded session also includes US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, as well as the head of the Israeli delegation, Ron Dermer."
– "Egypt is exerting intensive efforts to create the conditions necessary to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza."
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "Over the past 24 hours, 10 martyrs (including 2 recovered bodies) and 61 injuries arrived at hospitals across the Gaza Strip."
– "From 18 March 2025, until today, the total stands at 13,588 martyrs and 57,800 injuries.
– "Over the past 24 hours, 0 martyrs and 11 injuries from aid-related incidents arrived at hospitals, bringing the cumulative total of aid-seeking victims to 2,613 martyrs and more than 19,164 injuries."
❗️Regional powers unite in Moscow against Trump’s Afghanistan Bagram base plan
Afghanistan’s regional neighbors appeared to close ranks against US President Donald Trump’s declared plan to seize control of the Bagram military base near Kabul, according to a statement issued following their meeting in Moscow.
The “Moscow Format” gathering on Afghanistan brought together 10 countries, among them US partners India and Pakistan, as well as Russia, China, Iran, and several Central Asian states.
In a joint statement published by Russia’s foreign ministry late Tuesday, the participating nations refrained from directly naming the US or referencing Bagram, but appeared to criticize Trump’s proposal, echoing the Taliban’s stance.
"They (the countries meeting) called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability," the joint statement read.
Israeli army intercepts latest wave of Gaza-bound aid boats
The new flotilla of nine vessels was carrying over $100,000 in medicine, food supplies, and essential equipment
❗️Turkiye to meet over half its gas needs by 2028 through US imports and domestic output, cutting reliance on Russia, Iran
Turkiye could cover over half of its gas demand by the end of 2028 through higher domestic output and increased US imports, a move that could significantly reduce the remaining major European market for Russian and Iranian gas.
During their White House meeting on 25 September, US President Donald Trump urged Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to curb Russian energy purchases.
Ankara plans to re-export both imported liquefied natural gas and domestic production to Europe, while continuing to consume Russian and Iranian gas at home, analysts noted.
"Turkiye has been signalling that it will take advantage of the [global] LNG abundance," said Sohbet Karbuz of the Paris-based Mediterranean Organisation for Energy and Climate.
Although Russia remains Turkiye’s largest gas supplier, its market share has dropped from over 60% two decades ago to 37% in the first half of 2025.
(Reuters)
❗️Iraq’s FM calls on political parties to reopen debate on 'two-state solution' stance
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has called on the country’s political parties and parliamentary factions to publicly reconsider their opposition to the 'two-state solution' for the Palestine, stressing the need for a renewed national discussion on Iraq’s official position.
In an interview with Iraq’s News Agency (INA), Hussein said, "The Iraqi position is not in favor of what is called the two-state solution, and Iraqi law prohibits participation in such discussions ... There is no isolation of Iraq as a result."
Hussein pointed out that while Iraq maintains its opposition to the two-state framework, most Arab countries and the Palestinian people themselves support it, a shift he said places a responsibility on Iraq’s political forces and parliamentary blocs to reassess whether to maintain or amend their long-held stance.
❗️Iraq, Exxon Mobil to sign deal to develop and operate Majnoon oil field
Iraq and Exxon Mobil are set to sign an agreement on Wednesday to manage, develop, and operate the Majnoon oil field in southern Iraq, three Iraqi officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The deal will also cover the enhancement of Iraq’s southern oil export infrastructure, along with a profit-sharing arrangement for crude oil and refined products trading, the sources said.
❗️Israeli settlers staged a provocative incursion into the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, where they were seen singing and clapping loudly as they stormed the holy site.
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❗️Israel’s Walla News, citing an Israeli military official:
“We will respond to Iran if it carries out any unusual actions.”
❗️Israeli minister Ben-Gvir leads settler incursion into Al-Aqsa compound
Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem with a group of extremist settlers, praying for “victory in the war, the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages.”
His visit violates the longstanding status quo that restricts prayer at the site to Muslims under Waqf administration, a rule Israel has increasingly undermined.
❗️Israel seizes new wave of Freedom Flotilla boats carrying aid to Gaza
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) said Israeli forces attacked and seized several of its boats sailing toward Gaza, including The Conscience, which carried 93 journalists, doctors, and activists.
“The Israeli military has no legal jurisdiction over international waters,” the FFC said. “Our flotilla poses no harm.”
Israel’s foreign ministry confirmed the operation, calling it “another futile attempt to breach the legal naval blockade.” It said passengers were being taken to an Israeli port for deportation.
The FFC said the convoy was carrying more than $110,000 worth of medical and nutritional aid for Gaza’s hospitals and that passengers were “being held in unknown conditions.”
Activists from Ireland, France, and Denmark were also among those detained.
❗️Hamas leader Taher al-Nono:
– “Our delegation in Sharm el-Sheikh showed the necessary positivity and responsibility to achieve the required progress and finalize the agreement.”
– “Mediators are making great efforts to remove any obstacles to implementing the ceasefire, and a spirit of optimism prevails among all parties.”
– “The negotiations focused on mechanisms for ending the war, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the exchange of prisoners.”
– “Today, lists of prisoners to be released were exchanged in accordance with the agreed-upon standards and numbers.”
❗️Hamas delegation chief Khalil al-Hayya from Egypt:
– “We carry the aspirations and goals of our people — for stability, statehood, and the right to self-determination.”
– “We have come with a clear objective: to end the war, achieve a prisoner exchange, and secure the release of Israeli captives.”
– “The occupation repeatedly breaks its promises regarding halting the war; there must be guarantees for ending the aggression once and for all.”
– “We appreciate the efforts made by Islamic and Arab nations, as well as President Trump, to bring about a final end to the war.”
– “We reaffirm our full and responsible readiness to stop the war.”
Trump’s Gaza “stabilization force” sounds more like a privatized occupation than a peace plan. Who will actually show up, Arab soldiers or paid mercenaries?
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❗️Egypt’s Al-Qahera News Channel:
– "The list of prisoners that Hamas is demanding to be released includes Marwan Barghouti, Ahmad Saadat, Hassan Salameh, Abbas al-Sayed, and others."
– "Hamas has confirmed its readiness to hand over all captives and detainees, both alive and deceased."
– "Hamas is requesting clarification on the mechanisms and procedures required to implement Trump’s plan, as well as guarantees to prevent Israel from resuming its aggression against Gaza."
– "Delegations from Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States continue to arrive in Sharm el-Sheikh to participate in meetings focused on implementing Trump’s plan."
– "Egypt is intensifying its efforts with all parties to reach a clear agreement and define the mechanisms and procedures needed to implement the plan."
⭕️ Mandla Mandela returns to Johannesburg after Israeli detention and deportation
The grandson of late South African president Nelson Mandela arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday after being detained and deported by Israel, which blocked the flotilla he was part of from delivering aid to Gaza. Mandla Mandela returned with four other South Africans and said they were held in an Israeli prison for six days before being released through Jordan.
Mandela, 51, told supporters at the airport, "We were handcuffed with cable ties tied tightly behind our backs, taken off our boats, put on the platform and paraded for all ... to see." He added, "But it's nothing compared to what Palestinians have been subjected to on a daily basis."
❗️Delegations from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have joined the Hamas delegation in the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations.
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❗️According to Axios:
– "US President Donald Trump met Tuesday with his top national security team to discuss the progress of the Gaza negotiations before Witkoff and Kushner departed for Egypt."
– "Two sources who participated in the meetings said Trump told the families that the next 48 hours will be crucial for the efforts to reach a deal."
– "Senior US officials expressed cautious optimism about the chances of reaching a deal this week and emphasized that Kushner and Witkoff won't leave Egypt without an agreement to release the hostages and end the war."
– "'Bibi has done an excellent job. The military pressure was critical to make Hamas more pragmatic. But now Bibi must understand that the time for a deal has come,' a senior US official said."
❗️Secretary-General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Movement, Ziad al-Nakhala:
– "The prisoner-exchange clause can be implemented in the coming days, which would remove the fuse for escalation and deny the enemy pretexts for further aggression."
– "The enemy and its allies must know we will not submit to their terms and dictations after all the sacrifices that have been paid."
– "Trump’s plan effectively amounts to declaring the Palestinian people’s complete surrender to the enemy."
❗️UNICEF: One child killed or injured in Gaza every 17 minutes
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Perez warned on Tuesday that children in Gaza are facing “levels of violence and fear that no child should ever experience,” as Israel’s assault continues.
Perez said the toll was “shocking and unacceptable,” with one child killed or wounded every 17 minutes and countless others orphaned or displaced.
(MEM)
❗️Official Statement by the Gaza Government Media Office:
“The Israeli occupation kills two medical workers every day, causes the amputation of 13 Palestinians’ limbs every two days, and kills one journalist every three days.
– The occupation kills two medical workers every day.
– The occupation kills one Palestinian journalist every three days.
– The occupation kills one civil defense worker every five days.
– The occupation injures 232 Palestinians daily, more than half of them women and children.
– The occupation causes the amputation of 13 Palestinians’ limbs every two days.
– The occupation causes paralysis or loss of sight for six Palestinians every two days.
– The occupation launches more than one military attack on the health system each day.
This is the daily reality of the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.”
❗️Jewish supremacist minister Itamar Ben-Gvir led a group of Israeli settlers in publicly performing prayers and rituals inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem.
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❗️Turkiye Gazetesi reports that Ankara is weighing the possibility of launching a joint military operation’ with Syria targeting the Syrian Democratic Forces, if the group declines to align itself with the Syrian government.
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❗️Yesterday at night, Istanbul’s Galata Tower lit up in the colors of the Palestinian flag, marking two years since the start of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza and standing as a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
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❗️Trump tells Erdogan to help him ‘convince’ Hamas to accept Gaza 20-point-plan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed that US President Donald Trump had asked Turkiye to help convince Hamas to accept his 20-point ‘surrender’ plan, according to a transcript released by Erdogan’s office on Wednesday.
Erdogan, speaking to Turkish reporters aboard a flight back from Azerbaijan, said: “Both during our visit to the United States and in our most recent phone call, we explained to Mr. Trump how a solution could be achieved in Palestine. He specifically requested that we meet with Hamas and persuade them.”
❗️Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:
– “Gaza must be under Palestinian governance, and the two-state solution is the most suitable for the Palestinian cause.”
– “Hamas is ready for peace and to engage in negotiations, and our priority is reaching a ceasefire.”
– “The Syrian Democratic Forces must abide by their commitments and uphold national unity.”
❗️ICC complaints target Meloni, Italian officials for complicity in Israel’s genocide against Gaza
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni revealed that a complaint has been filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing her of complicity in genocide due to Italy’s backing of Israel amid its ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
She made the remarks in an interview with the state broadcaster RAI, marking her first public response to the matter, which the ICC has not officially confirmed.
Meloni stated that Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have also been “denounced”, a term used to indicate formal notification of a potential crime to the court. She also mentioned that Roberto Cingolani, the CEO of Italian defense and aerospace firm Leonardo, may have been included in the filing.
The complaint, dated 1 October, was reportedly signed by around 50 individuals, including law professors, attorneys, and public figures, according to AFP.
On this day two years ago, a flood was launched from Gaza – a demand for rights long denied. Israel's answer was collective punishment, a war turned into a project of erasure, subjugation, and domination.
Two years on, Gaza bleeds into the third year of genocide and struggle.
Washington burns through $34bn supporting Israel in post-7 October wars: Report
Ten percent of Gaza's population has been directly killed or injured by US-made munitions since the start of the genocide
Blair’s second coming: Gaza under colonial trusteeship
The same western architects who plunged Iraq into flames are now assembling a Zionist-led management team to control Gaza. Their blueprint: liquidate Palestinian resistance, seize real estate, and call it peace.
By Gulriz Ergoz