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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
⭕️ The UK is in talks with France and Saudi Arabia about the potential recognition of a Palestinian state at a June conference convened by the two countries to advance the political path toward a two-state solution in West Asia, according to the British foreign secretary.
David Lammy’s comments mark the first public acknowledgment that the UK and France are discussing a recognition process in connection with the upcoming conference.
⭕️ China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during a meeting on Wednesday with a top Iranian national security official, expressed Beijing’s appreciation for Tehran’s diplomatic initiatives related to its nuclear programme, just days before a fresh round of US-Iran talks set for Saturday.
According to a summary of the meeting with Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, released by China’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday, Wang said "China values Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons" and "appreciates Iran's diplomatic efforts."
Wang also noted that "(China) is pleased to see ongoing dialogue between Iran and other parties and supports Iran's necessary cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency."
❗️Israeli occupation forces targeted water tanks with bullets during a raid on the town of Beita, south of Nablus, occupied West Bank.
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❗️The raging fires have not yet been brought under control, and Israel is awaiting international assistance.
(Maariv)
❗️According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 42 people were killed in Syria on Wednesday, 30 April.
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⭕️ “The General Assembly does not have the power to impose on Israel a perpetual obligation to cooperate with UNRWA.”
At the ICJ on Wednesday, US State Department lawyer Joshua Simmons argued that “Israel’s urgent security needs override its obligations” to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza, and claimed that under the Geneva Conventions, Israel has “no duty to cooperate specifically with UNRWA,” citing baseless allegations of ties to Hamas.
Back in October 2024, the Israeli Knesset voted to end all cooperation with the UN agency.
❗️Israeli army confirms in a statement that one soldier was "severely injured" in an IED explosion in Beita.
According to the statement, occupation forces have "sealed off the area" in order to locate those who detonated it.
BREAKING | US airstrike targets Al-Hawak in Hodeidah, western Yemen.
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⭕️ Oil prices dropped sharply today (Wednesday), heading for their biggest monthly decline in over three years, as Saudi Arabia signaled plans to boost output and expand market share amid weakening global fuel demand due to trade tensions. (Reuters)
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BREAKING | Yemeni Armed Forces announces that it carried out drone strikes on the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea and Israeli military targets in Ashkelon and Tel Aviv.
The operations come in retaliation for US attacks in Yemen, and took place 24 hours after the strike on the USS Truman, which resulted in the downing of an F-18.
❗️Israel's 'Independence Day' ceremony was cancelled due to raging wildfires near Jerusalem, so instead, Israelis are now watching a broadcast of the final dress rehearsal.
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⭕️ The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) in Lebanon received a Hamas delegation in Beirut to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank, emphasizing unity, resistance, and ending the siege. They agreed on the need for a comprehensive national dialogue based on the Beijing talks, rejected UNRWA’s service cuts, and stressed protecting Palestinian rights in Lebanon while affirming commitment to Lebanese stability.
In a separate statement today, Hamas spokesperson Jihad Taha stressed the movement’s commitment to Palestinian unity and strengthening ties with Lebanon, calling for a joint Lebanese–Palestinian strategy to counter “projects targeting the camps.” In an interview with Al-Risala Net, he said, “the security of the camps is part of Lebanon’s security” and urged Lebanon to grant Palestinians their civil and social rights, noting they are barred from over 72 professions. He also called on UNRWA to improve support for refugees amid worsening conditions, and praised Lebanese resistance for its solidarity during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
This comes in light of the Lebanese President’s latest statements about withdrawing weapons across all Lebanese territory, not only the south.
Last week, Taha said Hamas is “fully ready for any dialogue with the Lebanese state” that goes beyond just “security and military” issues to include “political, social, and legal rights” of Palestinian refugees. He called for building a “genuine Palestinian–Lebanese strategy” that ensures both “Lebanon’s stability” and “the legitimate rights of refugees.”
❗️Israeli media reports that 5 Jewish settlements were evacuated and the highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv closed due to intensifying fires.
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Hell freezeth over as Sharaa gets invited to Baghdad
Twice incarcerated in Iraq under terrorism charges, Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been formally invited to Baghdad for the Arab Summit in May – a cause for outrage among many Iraqis, and potentially a tool to scuttle PM Sudani's re-election.
By Rasool Majeed
Iran to meet E3 officials ahead of fourth round of US nuclear talks
France, Germany, and the UK, along with China and Russia, were parties to the 2015 nuclear deal that collapsed after Washington unilaterally withdrew in 2018 during Donald Trump's first term as US president
❗️Key points from the statement issued by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, spiritual leader of the Druze Unitarian community in Syria – 1 May 2020:
– Condemnation of massacres: Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri denounced the recent attacks on civilians in Syria, describing them as ISIS-style Takfiri massacres aimed at spreading terror and domination without justification.
– Rejection of the government's narrative: He rejected claims that the victims were armed groups, stating: “Our people were peaceful in their homes and defended themselves. They were not gangs, and never have been.”
– Call for justice and reform: Hijri called for a new Syrian constitution that guarantees justice, freedoms, and decentralized civil governance, “a government that emerges from the people and truly represents them.”
– Loss of faith in the state: He expressed complete loss of trust in what he called a so-called government, accusing it of “massacring its people through its Takfiri factions and then blaming rogue elements.”
– Call for international protection: Hijri issued an urgent appeal to the international community to intervene immediately to stop the “systematic, documented mass killings” and prevent further atrocities.
– Rejection of sectarian extremism: He criticized the government and its affiliates for pushing a sectarian Takfiri ideology, saying they view even moderate Sunnis as enemies, and warned this threatens Syria’s pluralism.
– Support for Syrian unity: Emphasizing solidarity across all sects, he said the Druze community “stands united with all components of Syrian society in opposing terrorism and sectarian division.”
❗️100 firefighting teams continue to battle massive fires that have engulfed at least
19,000 dunams of land, including entire parks, forests, and nature reserves.
So far, there is no certainty that the fires were caused intentionally. A Palestinian resident of Jerusalem was arrested while attempting to set fire to open areas.
(Yedioth Ahronoth)
❗️An Israeli drone is currently flying at a low altitude over Beirut and its southern suburbs, Lebanon.
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❗️US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatens Iran on X.
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UPDATE | After 10 days of detention and interrogation by the Palestinian Authority (PA), Azzam Abu al-Adas has been released and is reunited with his family.
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❗️Massive fires in Jewish Israeli settlements in the occupied northern West Bank.
Israeli media is attributing them to alleged arson by Palestinians.
Lebanon dismantled 'over 90 percent' of Hezbollah infrastructure near Israel border
As Beirut faces intense US pressure to fully disarm the resistance, Hezbollah officials have urged the government to defend Lebanese sovereignty against ongoing Israeli attacks
❗️The Governor of the Damascus countryside Amer al-Sheikh, the Governor of Suwayda Mustafa al-Bakour, and the Governor of Quneitra Ahmad al-Dallati, held a meeting with several Druze elders of the city of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya to reach a consensus on the ongoing events in the city. (SANA)
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❗️Israel's Channel 12 reports that the settlement of Neve Ilan, northwest of Jerusalem, was evacuated of all its residents after a fire spread throughout the area.
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❗️Despite reports of calm and ongoing negotiations, local Syrian sources reported a short while ago that clashes were taking place in several villages in the Suwayda countryside between local Druze factions and extremist groups, with mortars being used in the fighting.
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Israel's total siege of Gaza reaches day 60 as ICJ hearings on genocide case continue
Dozens of nations are taking part in week-long hearings at The Hague over Israel's criminal blockade of humanitarian aid shipments for Gaza
❗️Israel's Channel 14 reports that an Israeli helicopter evacuated wounded Druze from Syrian territory to Ziv Hospital in Safad.
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❗️Israeli occupation forces are on high alert at the entrance to the town of Beita, south of Nablus, West Bank, after Israeli media reported that two soldiers were injured by a homemade explosive during an armed clash inside the town.
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UAE thwarts arms smuggling plot for Sudanese army as UN probes Emirati involvement in Darfur genocide
Both the army and the RSF have been accused of committing war crimes in a conflict that has displaced millions
❗️Israel's Channel 14 correspondent Hillel Biton Rosen:
"A mystery: Dozens of fires have broken out across the country — and not a single one is in an Arab area."