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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
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.
⭕️ Former Israeli War Minister Yoav Gallant admitted to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation that an image published by the military during his tenure—purportedly showing a "super tunnel" belonging to the Palestinian resistance in Gaza at the Philadelphi Corridor/Rafah crossing—was actually just a one-meter-deep trench meant for water drainage.
The military's propaganda aimed to exaggerate the significance of the "Philadelphi Corridor" and delay reaching a deal for the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.
⭕️ Saudi Aramco and China’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, BYD, have signed a joint development agreement to collaborate on advancing new energy vehicle technologies.
The deal aims to enhance efficiency and the environmental impact of electric vehicles, with Aramco's subsidiary, Saudi Aramco Technologies Company (SATC), partnering with BYD's R&D team.
The agreement reflects Aramco's broader strategy to optimize transport efficiency and explore lower-carbon fuels and powertrain innovations.
This partnership is Aramco's latest in a series of deals with Chinese companies, following previous agreements with refiners and petrochemical producers.
❗️A Palestinian was killed and a number of others wounded after an Israeli occupation aircraft targeted the tents of displaced people in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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❗️Iranian sources to Al-Araby al-Jadeed:
– "We expect an agreement between Tehran and Washington within the next two months, possibly sooner."
– "The Iranian-American negotiations are progressing 'better than expected.'"
– "The Iranian side was surprised by the behavior of the American negotiator, showing seriousness, urgency, and the lack of non-nuclear, unrealistic demands so far."
– "There is US approval of the principle of Iran's right to enrich uranium."
– "The Iranian side has presented suggestions to reassure the other party regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear program."
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "26 martyrs and 60 injuries arrived in Gaza hospitals over the past 24 hours."
– "The death toll from the start of the Israeli aggression on 7 October 2023 has risen to 51,266 martyrs and 116,991 injuries."
– "The death toll from the Israeli aggression since 18 March 2025 has risen to 1,890 martyrs and 4,950 injuries."
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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❗️Israeli Army Radio correspondent documents an Israeli armored personnel carrier after it was rigged with explosives to bomb homes and residential neighborhoods in Rafah, southern Gaza.
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Deadly Israeli drone strike hits outskirts of Lebanese capital
The strike targeted and killed a leader in the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Islamic Group, which carried out operations against Israel during the war
BREAKING | Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of Shebaa Farms in southern Lebanon.
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Pentagon to 'relocate' hundreds of troops to two new bases in Syria: Report
Washington announced plans last week to slash its illegal occupation of Syrian territory by at least half and has redeployed strategic assets to Kurdish-controlled areas
BREAKING | Al-Akhbar's correspondent in southern Lebanon:
"Two Israeli raids targeted the outskirts of Al-Haniyah (Tyre district)."