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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
WATCH | Israel and the United States can't be saperated from what is happening in Syria, says the Cradle's Estfean
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Israeli settlers performed provocative dances in Jerusalem's Old City during the Jewish holiday of Purim, under the protection of Israeli police. Meanwhile, Palestinian worshippers were barred from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque.
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Iran and Turkiye: Old rivals, new fault lines
A diplomatic flare-up between Iran and Turkiye has reignited their long-standing rivalry, just as Ankara’s regional policies are set to challenge Tehran’s influence in Syria, the Caucasus, and energy markets.
By Vali Kaleji
The moment Palestinian teacher Iman Abdul Mahdi Al-Zahour was taken from her home in Beit Kahil, west of Hebron (Al-Khalil) in the occupied West Bank, by Israeli forces.
She is one of three sisters arrested this morning.
❗️Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem:
○ "We condemn the occupation’s repeated aggression against Syria and the arrogance of the occupation government in interfering in Syria’s internal affairs. We affirm our full solidarity with Syria in confronting this brutal aggression."
○ "This ongoing aggression against Syria exposes the expansionist behavior of the occupation entity across the region and confirms that its actions pose the real threat to regional security."
❗️The Israeli occupation army has launched a large-scale arrest campaign, detaining numerous Palestinian civilians during an ongoing raid on the town of Araba, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
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❗️Palestinian Prisoners' Media Office:
○ "Occupation forces arrest young man Mohammad Alian while he was inside the occupied territories.”
○ "Occupation forces arrest freed prisoners Tariq Qadan and Ahmad Qadan from Jenin.”
○ "Ofer Military Court transfers Birzeit University graduate Shahd Majed Hassan from Ramallah to administrative detention.”
⭕️ 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 🇮🇷 China is set to host Russia and Iran for trilateral talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Friday, as confirmed by Beijing’s Foreign Ministry.
The discussions will involve Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. According to a spokesperson, the agenda will cover the Iranian nuclear issue, the lifting of sanctions, and other mutual concerns. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei emphasized that the meeting will also address regional and international developments, including cooperation within BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
❗️Palestinian Red Crescent reports that a Palestinian was injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets in Jenin, occupied West Bank.
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❗️Israeli bulldozers demolish several homes in the Samran neighborhood, Jenin Camp, occupied West Bank.
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❗️According to Reuters, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, visited Iraq last month to advocate for the release of Israeli-Russian 'researcher' Elizabeth Tsurkov, who went missing in March 2023.
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Yemen reimposes Red Sea blockade on Israeli shipping as Gaza truce deal falters
Israel cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and has halted electricity while threatening to resume its war on the strip
❗️The Media Committee in Jenin Camp, occupied West Bank:
○ "Israeli occupation forces continue their escalating aggression against Jenin and its camp for the 51st consecutive day, carrying out destruction and bulldozing operations in Qabatiya, a raid in Arraba, and widespread arrests across Jenin."
○ "At dawn today, the occupation forces destroyed infrastructure in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, targeting the town’s streets, including the Jerusalem Roundabout area, Café Street, and the main water supply line. They also bulldozed several citizen-owned stalls."
○ "The occupation sent military reinforcements to Qabatiya, raided and searched several homes, leading to confrontations."
○ "Simultaneously with the Israeli assault, Palestinian Authority forces besieged a house in the town of Silat al-Dhahr in Jenin, pursued a group of resistance fighters, and arrested two of them."
○ "On the 12th day of the blessed month of Ramadan, around 20,000 displaced people from Jenin Camp continue to live in shelters or away from their homes under dire humanitarian conditions."
○ "Since the beginning of the ongoing aggression against Jenin and its camp 51 days ago, 36 Palestinians have been killed, including two by Palestinian Authority security forces."
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
○ "12 martyrs (5 recovered martyrs, 7 new martyrs) and 14 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals during the past 24 hours."
○ "A number of victims are still under the rubble and on the streets, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them."
○ "The death toll from the Israeli aggression has risen to 48,515 martyrs and 111,941 injuries since 7 October 2023."
❗️Hamas spokesman Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Qanou:
○ "The occupation has reneged on the ceasefire agreement, contradicting the international will and efforts of all mediators to consolidate the agreement and end the war."
○ "Hamas has shown flexibility and engaged positively at various negotiating stages, and it continues to do so to compel the occupation to abide by the agreement and fulfill the demands of our people."
○ "We await new steps from the Doha negotiations to move toward implementing the second phase, resuming aid deliveries, and ensuring an end to the war."
China to host Russia, Iran for nuclear talks as Trump letter reaches Tehran
Iranian officials say that direct discussions with the US will be off the table as long as Washington persists in 'bullying' the Islamic Republic and issuing war threats
The Israeli military releases footage of its forces demolishing a home in Qalqilya, occupied West Bank—an act considered a war crime. The house belonged to a former Palestinian resistance fighter killed in an Israeli drone strike.
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❗️Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei:
○ “The US president says, 'We are ready to negotiate with Iran,' and invites Iran to negotiations—this is a deception aimed at global public opinion."
○ “This statement is meant to suggest that 'we are willing to negotiate, we want peace, but Iran refuses.' But why is Iran unwilling to negotiate? Look at yourselves!"
○ “We sat down for years and negotiated. The same person who signed the completed and finalized agreement then threw it off the table and tore it up…"
○ "When we know they will not honor their commitments, what is the point of negotiating?"
○ “Therefore, these calls for negotiations are nothing but an attempt to mislead public opinion."
Civilian death toll from Syrian government massacres surge past 1,300
Bodies are still being found across Syria’s coast, and the numbers are expected to continue rising
❗️Al-Akhbar's correspondent in southern Lebanon:
"An Israeli force, composed of a bulldozer and a Merkava tank, advanced toward the outskirts of Rmeish and created an earthen barrier around the separation wall."
A 7-year-old Palestinian boy, Ibrahim Abu Ghail, was abducted, interrogated, and mistreated by Israeli forces in the early hours of 11 March.
Before his abduction, Israeli forces raided his grandparents' home in Jenin, killing his grandmother in front of him.
The forces stripped Ibrahim of his clothes and subjected him to abuse. He was later released at the Al-Jalamah checkpoint, north of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
'Do whatever the hell you want': Iranian president fires back against US threats
Donald Trump has called for talks with Tehran while simultaneously threatening it with military attacks
⭕️ According to Israel's Channel 12, around 40,000 Syrian civilians are currently in areas under Israeli control.
Israeli security services estimate that numerous security cells are operating in Syria, with "weapons present in nearly every home."
Israeli occupation forces have divided southern Syria into three key areas to disrupt the new HTS-led government's consolidation of power and maintain control across multiple levels, from the border to Damascus. The security establishment sees operations in Syria as a preventive measure, "drawing lessons" from the 7 October, 2023 attacks.
❗️Al Manar correspondent in south Lebanon:
“Two Israeli Merkava tanks advanced towards the Halwani area on the outskirts of the town of Ramia.”
Israel bombs south Syria as war chief repeats threat of 'indefinite occupation' from Mount Hermon
Israel continues to bomb and occupy the country under the pretext that the new government is led by former Al-Qaeda and ISIS warlords
Manpower crisis poses 'danger' to Tel Aviv as preparations to resume Gaza genocide continue
Reservists and ultra-Orthodox Jews continue to reject government calls to report for duty
⭕️ According to a survey released on Tuesday by the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI), 58% of Israeli settlers believe that Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank enhance the country's overall security.
When asked whether they agreed with the statement that “Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria create deterrence and contribute to the security of all citizens of Israel,” 46% responded that they “very much agree,” while 12% said they “somewhat” concur.
Over the past six months, there has been a rise in the proportion of settlers who support the idea that Israel “should strengthen its control over the Palestinians, expand settlements, consider dissolving the Palestinian Authority and perhaps annexing Judea and Samaria,” as indicated by the survey.
Back in October, only a third of settlers endorsed this approach, but that number has since climbed to 47%.
❗️Israeli occupation forces carry out a mass arrest campaign in the town of Arraba, south of Jenin, occupied West Bank.
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⭕️ Russian diesel shipments are arriving at Syria's Baniyas port despite western sanctions, with recent deliveries transported by the tankers Prosperity and Proxima, both of which are subject to US and European restrictions. The shipments are part of Moscow's "shadow fleet" strategy, which utilizes aging vessels to circumvent sanctions.
The new administration in Damascus is facing an energy crisis and is turning to these shipments to meet domestic demand, particularly as efforts to lift sanctions remain unsuccessful. The tankers' movements have been tracked via ship tracking systems, though some details remain unclear, especially concerning the Proxima tanker, which changed destinations multiple times between Turkiye and Syria.
Syria's diesel demand is growing, with an estimated daily need of around 100,000 barrels.
The Prosperity tanker arrived in Baniyas on 5 March after departing from Russia's Primorsk port, while Proxima’s movements suggest a more complex route, possibly avoiding direct detection.
(Source: Attaqa)
❗️Public Relations Director at the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company, Muhammad Thabet:
○ "The [Israeli] occupation has cut off electricity to a desalination plant that international organizations had intervened to supply with approximately 5 kilowatts. The plant served around one million displaced people, providing them with fresh water."
○ "Nearly all aspects of life in Gaza are paralyzed due to the power outage, especially the health and water sectors."
○ "The lack of drinking water poses a serious risk of disease outbreaks and epidemics."