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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Syria TV reports that Israeli occupation forces continue the operation of raising barriers and expanding the Al-Hamidiya base as well as in the village of Jubata al-Khashab in the Quneitra countryside, southern Syria.
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World Bank reveals price tag of Syria reconstruction exceeds $200bn
The World Bank warns that its assessment is ‘subject to significant uncertainty,’ and that any future escalation in the country could amplify reconstruction costs
❗️HTS-led government forces in Syria surrounded and launched as assault on a camp of French foreign fighters in its stronghold of Idlib.
Following the attack, the Interior Ministry declared the French extremist leader Omar Omsen a "fugitive."
The ministry said the siege would continue until Omsen and his men surrender and announced that reinforcements had been sent to confront French and Uzbek foreign fighters inside the camp.
❗️Syria launches operation to capture French extremist militants near Turkish border
Syrian government forces have launched a large-scale operation in the country’s northwest to capture French extremist militants hiding in a camp near the Turkish border.
The group, Firqatul Ghuraba, is led by Omar Diaby (also known as Omar Omsen), a French-Senegalese national accused of recruiting francophone fighters to Syria. Officials say the camp has been fully encircled after the militants refused to surrender following the alleged kidnapping of a girl.
Clashes erupted overnight, and negotiations reportedly broke down after Omsen called on foreign fighters across Syria to mobilize.
France has requested the handover of at least two nationals from the group, while Syrian authorities confirmed that the militants are wanted under international arrest warrants.
The move comes as part of Damascus’s wider effort to meet US demands for action against extremist groups in Syria, a central condition in ongoing normalization and sanctions-relief discussions with Washington.
(FRANCE 24, AFP)
❗️Egypt has been ranked as the largest importer of LNG in West Asia since the beginning of 2025, with imports reaching 6.46 million tons. It is followed by Kuwait with 6.44 million tons and Jordan with 0.67 million tons.
(Bloomberg)
❗️ICJ to rule on legality of Israel’s Gaza aid blockade
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague is set to issue a ruling today on whether Israel violated international law by maintaining a months-long blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Judges will also assess Israeli attacks on UN staff and facilities during the ongoing siege. While the decision is a non-binding advisory opinion, it is expected to increase pressure on Israel to cooperate with the UN and facilitate aid deliveries.
The ruling will address Israel’s obligations toward the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and follows two previous ICJ decisions related to Israel’s actions since the start of the Gaza genocide.
❗️Israel's Channel 12 reports that while US-Israel coordination is on track, Israeli security officials warn the fast pace of Trump’s plan could harm Israel’s 'security.'
The main concerns involve troop positioning, rules of engagement, and Israel’s ability to sanction Hamas; decisions that may shift to Washington, limiting Israel’s operational freedom.
US Vice President JD Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and adviser Jared Kushner arrived to push the plan forward and launched a US command center in Kiryat Gat to monitor Gaza.
VIDEO | At a demonstration in Seoul, South Korea, young activists rallied calling for the liberation of Palestine, with one holding a sign that read, “A ceasefire is only the first step – liberation is the goal.”
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❗️Senate Democrats press Trump to block Israeli annexation of occupied West Bank
In a rare show of unity, more than 40 Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Adam Schiff, sent a letter to Donald Trump urging him to reinforce his public opposition to any attempt by Israel to annex territory in the occupied West Bank, warning such a move could undermine the Abraham Accords and the viability of a two-state solution.
Senate Democrats also highlighted that the Gaza ceasefire plan conspicuously omits any reference to the occupied West Bank insisting that the administration publicly reinforce its opposition to annexation to safeguard the credibility of the two-state framework and uphold US commitments to Arab partners.
(Axios)
❗️Israeli settlers entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied Jerusalem, singing and clapping in an act of provocation at one of Islam’s holiest sites.
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❗️Vance echoes Trump's threats, while calling Gaza 'peace' plan 'durable'
During a press conference while on his Israel visit, US Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence in the durability of Trump's so-called 'peace' plan, but echoed Trump’s warning that if Hamas doesn’t cooperate, it will be “obliterated.”
He said the situation is “difficult” and “unpredictable” and pointed out that “we don’t yet have the international security force set up.”
He cautioned that unless Hamas disarms, “very bad things are going to happen,” but declined to set a deadline: “I don’t think it’s actually advisable to say this has to be done in a week.”
❗️The Colonization & Wall Resistance Commission:
– "The Israeli occupation army has seized 70 dunums of land in Nablus to establish a buffer zone around the “Eli” settlement."
– "The seized land belongs to the villages of Qaryut, Al-Lubban, Al-Sawiya, and Al-Suqay in Nablus Governorate."
– "The confiscation was carried out for military and security purposes aimed at creating a buffer zone around the 'Eli' settlement."
– "Over the past two years, Israeli authorities have seized approximately 55,000 dunums of land and established 25 buffer zones around settlements."
❗️Pentagon tightens control over staff communication with US Congress
The US War Department has introduced a new policy requiring Pentagon personnel to seek approval before engaging in communications with members of Congress. According to a department memo dated 15 October, the move aims to coordinate messages and ensure consistency in messaging tied to the department’s priorities.
The measure reflects a broader push within the Pentagon to control internal information flows and external narratives about its operations. In response, Pentagon officials say the change affects internal communication processes and does not alter how Congress receives information.
The new restrictions come amid ongoing tensions over press access at the Pentagon, with dozens of defense reporters recently returning their press credentials following tighter access rules.
A new front is taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greece–Cyprus–Israel alliance is emerging as a cornerstone of Washington’s strategy to box in Turkiye and contain China’s influence.
Read the full article here
VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces advance on the road connecting the villages of Al-Ajraf and Eastern Al-Samdanieh in the Quneitra countryside in the occupied Golan heights.
(SANA)
❗️Driver arrested after ramming car into Secret Service checkpoint near White House
A driver was arrested after attempting to ram their vehicle into a Secret Service checkpoint near the White House. The incident occurred late Tuesday night, 21 October, prompting a swift response from law enforcement.
Authorities have not released the driver's identity or motive, but the situation is under investigation. No injuries were reported among Secret Service personnel or bystanders.
The White House complex was briefly placed on lockdown during the incident, but normal operations have since resumed.
Hamas fears Israel could replicate ‘Lebanon model’ in Gaza: Report
Israel has carried out scores of targeted killings in Lebanon since the ceasefire agreement was reached
BREAKING | Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza reports the arrival of 30 bodies of Palestinian prisoners handed over by Israel as part of the exchange deal.
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❗️Diplomatic correspondent Amichai Stein reported for Israel's i24NEWS that foreign intelligence sources are observing a 'rapid and concerning recovery by Hezbollah.'
These western sources told i24NEWS that Hezbollah has increased the pace of its reorganization in recent weeks, precisely at the same time the Lebanese government decided to disarm the group.
⭕️ NO AID LOOTING in Gaza since ceasefire took effect: WFP
WFP spokesperson Abeer Etefa said in Geneva that no aid has been looted in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect.
Earlier looting was predominantly carried out by outlaw armed groups and Israel-backed gangs, which Hamas’s internal security forces are now cracking down on.
Etefa said that while aid deliveries have increased, they remain well below what’s needed. Only about 750 tonnes are entering Gaza each day, far short of the WFP’s 2,000-tonne daily target, with just two crossings currently open.
❗️Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim, International President of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and an emergency doctor who has worked in Gaza:
– “Palestinians in Gaza are [still] enduring genocide. The health system lies in ruins.”
– "Israeli [occupation] forces attacked hospitals, reducing them to rubble; killed, detained, and forcibly displaced medical staff; and systematically blocked supplies from entering the Strip.”
– “These patients cannot wait for the health care system to be rebuilt: They need urgent care today."
❗️Director of the Palestinian Center for the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared, Ahmed Masoud:
– Our preliminary estimates indicate that about 6,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are among the missing and forcibly disappeared.
– The largest group of the missing are young people.
❗️Anwar Gargash: 'The US is indispensable for regional stability'
Anwar Gargash, adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said at the Reuters NEXT Gulf Summit in Abu Dhabi that recent developments in the region have altered the Gulf states’ security perception.
“The Israeli attack in Qatar changed our view of Gulf security; Gulf security is interconnected,” he said.
Gargash noted that Qatar hosts the largest US base in the region and argued that while Gulf security concepts are shifting, the US remains “indispensable for the region’s stability.”
Gargash, who served as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs between 2008 and 2021, played a key role in the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel, the UAE, and several other Arab countries through US mediation.
❗️Funeral procession held at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis for 54 Palestinians whose bodies were returned by Israel as part of the recent exchange agreement.
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VIDEO | UNICEF Spokesperson Ricardo Pires to Al-Arabiya English:
– “The situation for children [in Gaza] continues to be extremely dire.”
– Famine continues to ravage Gaza, impacting thousands of malnourished children
– The fear of losing access to food, water, and medication is a daily fear in Gaza
❗️Knesset set to debate bills to annex occupied West Bank today
The Israeli Knesset is set to hold a debate today on two bills that call for annexing the occupied West Bank and applying full Israeli sovereignty over the territory.
The session follows last week’s decision by the Knesset Presidium to bring the proposals to a preliminary vote.
One was submitted by opposition leader Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, and the other by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party.
If either measure passes the initial reading, it will move to the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee for further review before returning to the plenary for additional votes.
(Asharq al-Awsat)
VIDEO | A young girl, Jouri Mohammed Badawi Dabbasa, was injured after Israeli settlers attacked her while she was going to Al-Tawana School in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. This attack follows similar, escalating Israeli settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
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❗️The Palestinian Prisoners' Society:
"Since last night until this morning Wednesday, 22 October [Israeli] occupation forces launched a campaign of arrests and field investigations, targeting at least 45 Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem."
Madagascar erupts, Indian Ocean power dynamics in flux
With France ejected and its president in exile, Madagascar's revolt opens the island to new suitors – and new conflicts – in a sea increasingly shaped by multipolar ambitions
By Aidan J. Simardone
❗️Khamenei rejects Trump's nuclear claims amid rising tensions
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s recent claims that the United States and Israel have destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. During a meeting on Monday, 20 October, Khamenei referred to Trump's assertions as a "delusion," emphasizing that Iran's nuclear industry remains intact and operational. He further stated, “Let him continue living in that illusion,” and highlighted Iran's missile capabilities as a deterrent against future threats.
This statement follows Trump's remarks to the Israeli Knesset, where he described the joint US–Israeli operation against Iran as “magnificent,” claiming it had effectively eliminated Iran’s nuclear program. Khamenei criticized these remarks as part of a broader "soft war" aimed at undermining Iranian morale.