43031
The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Statement issued by the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip:
○ “Gaza is facing a comprehensive humanitarian disaster due to ongoing power outages and the closure of crossings.”
○ “In light of the continuous humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, caused by the devastating Israeli aggression that has lasted for 16 months, the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip reiterates the urgent need for a sustainable and sufficient supply of water and electricity. This is particularly critical after the central desalination plant was forced to shut down due to power outages caused by the Israeli occupation. This has put the lives of Palestinians at risk and exacerbated both the health and environmental crises.”
○ “We condemn the recent decision by the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, as well as the ongoing power outages in Gaza since the beginning of the aggression. These actions have deprived the residents of Gaza of their primary energy source, paralyzing essential services, particularly in the sectors of health, water, and sanitation. Desalination plants, sewage treatment facilities, and many other municipal services have ceased operation, increasing the risk of epidemics and the spread of diseases.”
○ “We assert that the continuation of these punitive measures against civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. It only serves to worsen the suffering of Gaza’s residents, who are already enduring the worst humanitarian crisis in history.”
○ “The denial of entry for construction materials, spare parts, machinery, and alternative energy systems has severely limited the municipalities’ capacity to find effective solutions, deepening the crisis and threatening the collapse of vital services.”
○ “The Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip urgently calls on the international community, humanitarian organizations, and all relevant parties to intervene immediately. We demand the secure and sustainable supply of electricity, fuel, and water, as well as the entry of essential equipment and materials necessary to keep municipalities operational and to prevent further health and environmental disasters that threaten the lives of more than two million people trapped in Gaza.”
❗️Al-Mayadeen correspondent:
"Occupation forces are firing heavily at the vicinity of the eastern cemetery area east of Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip."
❗️UK Deputy Representative to the UN:
We are concerned by reports of Iran's production of highly enriched uranium.
❗️Israel's Channel 12:
The army sets up checkpoints and mobilizes forces on land and in the air in search of the shooter near Ariel.
❗️Israeli media:
A settler was seriously injured and another moderately injured in a shooting attack near the Ariel settlement in the West Bank.
❗️Lebanese journalist Khalil Nasrallah:
"Israel’s withdrawal of its forces from the occupied points in southern Lebanon does not require indirect negotiations. The mere acceptance by the authorities in Lebanon to negotiate through 'committees,' as mentioned by the Americans, is a grave mistake and could raise suspicions. Israel is the aggressor—so what exactly is there to negotiate? Negotiation implies concessions, and this must be carefully considered. In any case, the very principle of negotiating withdrawal is a mistake."
❗️Israeli military spokesman:
"The day before yesterday, Israeli Air Force aircraft bombed dozens of targets in southern Syria, including radars and detection devices used to build aerial intelligence images, as well as military headquarters and sites containing weapons and military equipment belonging to the former Syrian regime in southern Syria. Twenty-two warplanes participated in the attack, dropping more than 60 bombs on southern Syria."
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.
Читать полностью…
❗️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.
A Palestinian farmer Hosni Farouni was injured after Israeli settlers attacked his farm in the town of Burqa, north of Nablus, in the occupied West Bank.
Читать полностью…
❗️Heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles east of Jabal al-Rayes area, east of Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Читать полностью…
❗️Hadashut Israel:
Initial details of the shooting near Ariel: A gunman opened fire, after which an injured settler arrived at the Ariel industrial zone and joined security forces at the scene. The settler is currently receiving medical treatment.
Military forces have begun pursuit operations in the area, clearing the airspace.
❗️Footage from the aftermath of the shooting operation near the Ariel settlement adjacent to occupied West Bank city of Salfit.
Читать полностью…
❗️Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen:
"We have halted humanitarian aid to Gaza. I have signed a decision to cut off electricity, and resuming fighting is on the table."
❗️Israel Channel 12:
"Coinciding with the Doha negotiations, Netanyahu is currently holding an expanded security consultation session amid the possibility of reaching an agreement regarding the release of a new batch of kidnapped soldiers in exchange for the release of Palestinians and the entry of aid."
WATCH | Israel and the United States can't be saperated from what is happening in Syria, says the Cradle's Estfean
Watch on YouTube
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.
Читать полностью…
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.
Читать полностью…
❗️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.
Читать полностью…