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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️In response to the Israeli army, the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Gaza issues the following:
– "We affirm that the Israeli army's narrative and claims about the execution of our crew and the Red Crescent team are false, contradicting their previous versions, and contain evidence of their lies, as no evidence is available."
– "Our crew and the Palestinian Red Crescent team were cold-bloodedly executed, in blatant disregard for the law and international humanitarian conventions. International news agencies and newspapers published videos clearly showing our teams adhering to official vehicle markings and lights, as well as wearing the internationally recognized fluorescent uniforms that are known to the Israeli army."
– "The execution of our teams in Rafah provides concrete evidence to the world that the occupation has failed to adhere to any legal or ethical standards regarding the intervention of our humanitarian teams, confirming that 113 of our staff were killed by the Israeli occupation forces in cold blood since the beginning of their war on Gaza."
⭕️ The foreign ministers of Germany, France, and Britain issued a joint statement today, urging Israel to comply with international law by ensuring unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"Humanitarian aid must never be used as a political tool and Palestinian territory must not be reduced nor subjected to any demographic change," the ministers said.
They also called on all sides to re-establish a ceasefire and demanded that Hamas immediately release the remaining captives.
UPDATE | Israeli army announces that it is trying to intercept a missile launched from Yemen.
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Washington issues new Iran sanctions amid 'positive' nuclear talks
The Treasury Department issued sanctions targeting an Iranian liquefied petroleum gas firm as part of Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran
Putin hosts Omani Sultan for first-ever Moscow visit
Muscat is mediating indirect US-Iran talks to seal a new deal that would impose restrictions on Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief
Jedi mind tricks: The enemy's cognitive war on Lebanon
A psychological war is being waged to make normalization with Israel seem inevitable, but Lebanon's resistance is not just on the battlefield – it is also in the battle for perception.
By Mohamad Hasan Sweidan
❗️Hamas sources tell Al-Arabi TV, contrary to AFP's claims, that no Hamas delegation has traveled to Cairo to discuss any new proposals.
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⭕️ Israel deletes tweet expressing condolences to the Pope.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry briefly shared messages on Instagram, Facebook, and X that read, “Rest in peace, Pope Francis. May his memory be a blessing,” but the posts were quickly deleted.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar have remained silent, issuing no public statements or social media posts regarding the Pope’s death.
Syrian security forces detain Palestinian resistance leaders
The PIJ's armed wing, the Quds Brigades, said the leaders were detained five days ago, 'without any explanation' from the authorities
⭕️ Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is set to visit China on 23 April at the invitation of the Chinese government, according to an announcement from China’s foreign ministry today.
During the visit, the two countries will engage in discussions on bilateral ties as well as key international and regional issues of shared interest, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing.
While speaking to Jusoor News during his visit to Damascus, US Congressman Cory Mills stated that interim Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has been clear about his willingness to establish and maintain strong relations with Israel.
"The president (Ahmad al-Sharaa) and the leadership have demonstrated their willingness to work with Israel as they seek to prevent Hashd al-Shaabi from transferring weapons from Iraq through Syria into Lebanon," Mills said, adding that Sharaa had been "very clear" about his desire to "establish and maintain a strong relationship" with Israel and to be a "good neighbor."
Mills and Marlin Stutzman are the first US lawmakers to visit Damascus since former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's fall in December, on an unofficial trip organized by a Syrian-American nonprofit organization.
❗️Footage released by the Israeli occupation army shows its detonation and demolition of the home of Mohammad Shehab's family in the town of Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem—a war crime.
Mohammad Shehab carried out a ramming operation in Ramla, south of Tel Aviv, wounding four Israeli soldiers, two seriously, at a military camp. He was killed during the attack.
❗️The moment an Israeli drone targeted pickup truck in the town of Al-Haniya, southern Lebanon, killing at least one person.
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❗️Egyptian sources to Al-Arabi TV:
– "The proposed truce requires ending the war and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for Hamas declaring a ceasefire."
– "The proposal ends Hamas's rule over the Gaza Strip, which would be administered by a community support committee and forces affiliated with the Palestinian Authority."
– "The Egyptian-Qatari proposal guarantees stopping the war and reconstruction without displacing Palestinians from Gaza."
– "An Israeli delegation is visiting Cairo to discuss the proposal, which will also be presented to the Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya."
UPDATE | The Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), has issued a statement calling on the Syrian government to release two of their leaders, Khaled Khaled and Yasser Al-Zufri, who have been detained for five days without explanation.
The statement expresses concern over the manner of their detention, especially given Syria’s historical role in supporting the righteous and free. They urged the Syrian government to uphold Arab solidarity and justice by releasing these leaders, who have played significant roles in supporting the Palestinian cause and providing humanitarian aid in Syria.
⭕️ Saudi Arabia and India have agreed to strengthen collaboration in the supply of crude oil and liquefied petroleum gas, according to a joint statement published by the Saudi state news agency on Wednesday, following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.
Saudi Arabia remains one of India’s leading petroleum suppliers. During the visit, Modi held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The two countries agreed to deepen their defence ties and improve their cooperation in defence manufacturing, along with agreements in agriculture and food security.
"The two countries welcomed the excellent cooperation between the two sides in counter-terrorism and terror financing," the joint statement said.
❗️Medical sources report that the death toll has risen to 19 in ongoing Israeli airstrikes since dawn today on several areas in Gaza.
(Al Jazeera)
BREAKING | Missile sirens ring in Haifa and settlements across the western Upper Galilee, near the southern Lebanese border.
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BREAKING | US warplanes bomb Kamaran Island off the coast of Hodeidah, west of Yemen.
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WATCH | How China’s digital currency challenges western hegemony
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Trump names former Israeli Defense Ministry staffer as Israel–Iran director at NSC
Merav Ceren is also affiliated with the Washington-based FDD think tank, which has been described as ‘hawkish’
Harvard sues Trump, defies call to crack down on pro-Palestine speech
Harvard is challenging Trump's freeze of billions in grant funding, which the president is using to pressure the school to end activism opposing Israel's genocide in Gaza
❗️The US imposed new sanctions related to Iran today, according to the Treasury Department’s website, as discussions continue between the two nations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
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❗️The moment an Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb in Aita al-Shaab, south Lebanon.
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Saudi Aramco and China's BYD sign EV development deal
China continues to expand its economic ties with energy-rich Gulf nations amid an economic decoupling from the US
❗️A statement by Abdul Majeed Ammar, head of Hezbollah's Islamic Relations Department:
– "We strongly condemn the treacherous and cowardly crime committed by the Israeli enemy in assassinating the leader of the Islamic Group, Sheikh Hussein Atwi."
– "This crime comes in the context of the enemy's continued arrogance and violation of Lebanese sovereignty, and its attempt to undermine the resistance, regardless of affiliation. This proves that the resistance project is one and the enemy is one."
– "On behalf of Hezbollah, we extend our deepest condolences to our brothers in the Islamic Group and to the martyr's family."
– "The enemy's persistence in its crimes, under blatant US cover and encouragement, stems from the failure of states sponsoring the ceasefire agreement and the international community's neglect of its responsibilities."
– "This only emboldens the enemy to continue its brutal rampage without restraint."
– "This ongoing aggression, repeated this afternoon in the southern town of Haniyeh - resulting in one martyr and several wounded - requires the Lebanese state to assume its full national responsibilities and cease being a helpless spectator."
– "It must not settle for ineffective condemnations that have failed to deter the enemy, but must instead take decisive, serious, and urgent action through all available means."
US–Iran nuclear talks advancing 'better than expected’: Report
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that the last round of negotiations resulted in an agreement to form a ‘general framework’ for a nuclear deal
❗️Ultra-Orthodox Knesset Member Yinon Azoulay denounced Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for stating that returning Israeli detainees was a secondary issue when compared to defeating the resistance in Gaza.
Speaking to Radio Kol Hai this morning, Azoulay stressed that there was an obligation to exhaust every effort to bring the detainees home, insisting they "must come before everything else."
Netanyahu ordered intel chief to 'defy high court' if constitutional crisis erupts
The Israeli PM is seeking to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, citing 'lack of trust' and alleged leaks to the media
UPDATE | A Lebanese citizen was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of the town of Al-Haniyah while he was collecting scrap metal.
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