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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
UPDATE | Israeli army statement:
"Following the sirens that sounded at 16:30 in Ashkelon, two projectiles that were fired from northern Gaza were intercepted by the IAF."
BREAKING | Sirens sound in Ashkelon, an Israeli settlement north of Gaza.
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BREAKING | Israeli warplanes launch an airstrike on Al-Atatra area, west of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip.
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BREAKING | Israeli warplanes bomb a tent housing displaced Palestinians on Al-Aqsa Hospital Street, central Gaza Strip.
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❗️Israeli settlers established a settlement outpost on a road between the towns of Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadel, south of Nablus, occupied West Bank.
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Khamenei warns of ‘severe, crushing blow’ if US attacks Iran
US President Donald Trump has recently threatened that Iran risks an attack on its nuclear program if it does not negotiate with Washington
⭕️ The Israeli opposition and a prominent NGO announced Friday that they had filed an appeal against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel called the move “illegal” and a threat to national security, while the Yesh Atid party, led by opposition leader Yair Lapid, condemned it as a decision made under a “blatant conflict of interest.” At the same time, the Prime Minister’s Office revealed plans to propose the dismissal of the attorney general in the upcoming cabinet meeting.
⭕️ Ynet reports that senior West Bank settler leaders recently visited Abu Dhabi, marking their first official trip to a Muslim-majority nation. Hosted by Dr. Ali Rashid al-Nuaimi of the UAE’s Federal National Council, the delegation of regional council heads from the Yesha Council settler lobby engaged with Emirati officials, business leaders, and Israeli Ambassador Yossi Shelley.
Yesha Council Chair Yisrael Gantz described the visit as indicative of a "new era in regional diplomacy," emphasizing the need for innovative alliances in the current global landscape.
According to Ynet, this engagement reflects a strategic shift, as both Israeli and Emirati officials recognize the diminishing legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority (PA). Sources familiar with the talks say the UAE's interest in engaging with Israeli settler leaders stems from recognition of their political power within Israel’s current coalition.
Additionally, the UAE has observed the settler movement’s growing ties to allies of US President Donald Trump, particularly regarding sovereignty over the occupied West Bank.
Settlement leaders, including ‘Samaria Regional Council’ head Yossi Dagan, have been building business ties with the UAE for several years, aiming to reshape the regional narrative: normalization with Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, should not be contingent on a Palestinian state or the removal of settlements.
BREAKING | Injuries reported following an Israeli airstrike that targeted a group of Palestinians in Al-Maghraqa, central Gaza Strip.
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‘Not the right person’: Netanyahu sacks Israel’s Shin Bet chief
The move has sparked significant backlash from the Israeli opposition and signifies growing tension between the premier and the security establishment
⭕️ Arab diplomatic sources disclosed to Al-Akhbar that Cairo and Amman, initially firm in opposing the displacement of Gaza's population, shifted their stance about a month ago. This change was discussed in meetings in Riyadh and Doha, where the potential for the war to spread beyond Gaza, including to Yemen and Iran, was addressed.
Key points from the discussions include:
Riyadh Meeting: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman emphasized the need for 'realistic' solutions and the long-term repercussions of current events on the Arab world. UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Kuwait, and Egypt showed strong interest in understanding the Gulf's role moving forward, especially regarding US relations.
Two-State Solution: The participants reaffirmed support for the two-state solution, emphasizing Arab-Arab and Palestinian-Palestinian unity before engaging with the US.
US Guarantees and Jordan's Role: Arab leaders demanded US guarantees to halt West Bank settlement activities. Saudi Arabia rejected a US offer for it to manage East Jerusalem's holy sites, agreeing instead to maintain Jordan's responsibility. They also urged Mahmoud Abbas to reform the Palestinian Authority and protect the West Bank from annexation.
Gaza Reconstruction: The discussion around Gaza's reconstruction was marked by Israel and the US's tough conditions. Egypt suggested a temporary evacuation of up to half a million Palestinians to North Sinai, though this raised concerns in Jordan about the limited sheltering of refugees.
BREAKING | Israel destroys the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, near the Netzarim Corridor, Gaza.
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❗️Israeli army statement:
"Over the past week, IDF, ISA, and Border Police forces operated to thwart terrorism in Nablus, in northern Samaria. As part of the operation, the forces apprehended over 15 suspects, confiscated weapons, and interrogated additional of suspects.
On Wednesday, IDF troops operated in 'Madama' in Samaria to prevent stone-throwing in the area. During the operation, weapons, terror funds, and materials used for incitement were confiscated.
The IDF and security forces will continue to operate to thwart terrorism in Judea and Samaria in order to maintain the security of citizens of the State of Israel."
❗️Statement by Hamas:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denies the claims published by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth regarding the cutting of communications or the suspension of negotiations related to the prisoner exchange deal.
Hamas affirms that it remains actively engaged in the negotiations, following up with the mediators with full responsibility and seriousness. The movement continues to discuss the 'Witkoff' proposal and various ideas on the table, aiming to secure a prisoner exchange deal that ensures the release of captives, ends the war, and achieves a withdrawal."
❗️Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor of the US on X:
"Israel has every right to defend its people from Hamas terrorists.
The ceasefire would have been extended if Hamas released all remaining hostages. Instead, they chose war."
❗️Israeli media reports that two rockets, launched from Gaza, were intercepted.
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❗️UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Sigrid Kaag, announces that Israel demolished at least 460 structures in the occupied West Bank.
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❗️Israeli occupation armored vehicles in the occupied West Bank stormed the streets of Zababdeh and Raba in southern Jenin, passed through the city of Tubas, and then withdrew towards the Tayasir checkpoint.
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BREAKING | Israel’s Supreme Court suspends move by Netanyahu’s government to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar while the court reviews appeals filed against the dismissal.
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❗️The Palestinian Journalists Protection Center (PJPS) announces the murder of journalist Hussam al-Titi, who worked for ABC, and his family, in an Israeli airstrike on his home in Gaza.
Around 210 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
⭕ Lebanese MP Sami Gemayel is calling for decisive action concerning the Lebanese individuals who fled to Israel during the Lebanese Civil War, hinting at normalization with Israel.
The majority of Lebanese residing in Israel are former members of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) and their families. The SLA was a militia, formed by Lebanese military officer Saad Haddad in 1977, that formed an alliance with Israel.
The group fought against all forms of resistance in southern Lebanon, including during Israel’s occupation from 1982 to 2000. Following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon on 22 May 2000, many former SLA members fled to Israel.
Currently, there are approximately 3,500 Lebanese nationals living in Israel. They are officially registered as "Lebanese" by the Israeli Ministry of Interior and hold Israeli citizenship.
❗️Statement by Hamas:
"The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) denies what was reported by the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth regarding a breakdown in communication or a suspension of talks related to a prisoner exchange deal.
The movement affirms that it remains engaged in the heart of the negotiations, responsibly and seriously following up with its mediator partners, and continues to discuss the Witkoff proposal and other ideas currently on the table, with the aim of reaching a prisoner exchange agreement that ensures the release of captives, ends the war, and secures a withdrawal."
BREAKING | Al Jazeera correspondent:
"Injuries as a result of Israeli artillery shelling on the city of Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip."
BREAKING | Israeli warplanes bomb a mosque in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, west of Rafah, southern Gaza.
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❗️The Egyptian General Authority for Information denies claims circulated by some media outlets that Egypt is ready to temporarily relocate half a million residents from Gaza to a designated city in North Sinai as part of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip:
"These false claims are fundamentally and completely contrary to Egypt's firm and principled stance, which it declared from the early days of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. Egypt has consistently rejected any attempt to forcibly or voluntarily displace Palestinian brothers from Gaza to any location outside of it, especially to Egypt, as this would amount to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and pose a grave threat to Egypt's national security."
Heavy Israeli airstrikes hit southern, eastern Lebanon
The Israeli army claimed it struck military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah in the south and Bekaa
German FM reopens Damascus embassy in second Syria visit since HTS coup
Baerbock called on Syria's de facto authorities to 'hold to account' government troops who massacred thousands of Alawite civilians earlier this month
❗️Press Statement issued by the Committee of Families of Political Detainees in the occupied West Bank:
○ "The Committee of Families of Political Detainees strongly condemns the inhumane practices to which detainees are subjected inside the prisons and interrogation centers of the Palestinian Authority (PA), particularly in Junaid and Jericho prisons, which have become human slaughterhouses where severe and shocking violations are committed against detainees."
○ "Documented testimonies from released detainees reveal horrific torture methods, including prolonged suspension and hanging for hours and even days, sleep deprivation while their hands and legs remain shackled, brutal beatings, spitting, and degrading insults targeting their mothers and sisters—an outrageous violation of all ethical and national values."
○ "These practices extend to severe psychological and physical abuse, including suspension by their genitalia, forced beard plucking, and coercion into making false confessions aimed at tarnishing their reputation and destroying their social and moral standing."
○ "Additionally, detainees are forced under threat and torture to sign falsified statements claiming they were not mistreated or tortured and that they were treated "well"—a blatant attempt to cover up crimes of torture that cannot be justified or ignored."
○ "We hold the PA security services fully responsible for these crimes and call on international and local human rights organizations, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross, to put an end to these grave violations, visit detention facilities and interrogation centers to closely examine the detainees' conditions, hold perpetrators accountable, and take serious action to ensure the immediate release of all political detainees and an end to these severe abuses against them."
❗️Al-Akhbar correspondent in Lebanon:
"A US and European military and diplomatic delegation accompanied a delegation from the committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and a high-ranking Lebanese army delegation on a tour of the southern border, following a meeting at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters to discuss the needs of the Lebanese army."
⭕️ BREAKING | Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has threatened to seize and annex more Palestinian land in the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not release the captives it is holding.
In a statement, he declared: “If Hamas continues to refuse to release the captives, I have instructed the IDF to capture additional areas, expel the population, and expand the so-called security zone around Gaza, ensuring a permanent Israeli takeover of Palestinian land.”
He further warned, “As long as Hamas resists, it will lose more and more territory, which will be annexed to Israel.”
Additionally, he stated that Israel would intensify its military and political pressure, including the forced displacement of Palestinians to southern Gaza and the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 'voluntary migration' plan.