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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️In the past hours, US raids have targeted several areas across Yemen, among them Al-Hazm City in Al-Jawf Governorate and the capital Sanaa.
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❗️The International Court of Justice (ICJ) rejected Sudan’s case against the United Arab Emirates today, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
Due to the lack of jurisdiction, "the court is precluded by its statute from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan," a summary of the ruling said.
Sudan said last month at the UN’s top court that the UAE’s support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur violated the Genocide Convention.
❗️A senior Israeli defense official told Reuters today there is a “window of opportunity” for a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza during US President Donald Trump’s visit to West Asia next week.
However, if no agreement is reached, Israel will launch its new operation in the Strip.
“If there is no hostage deal, Operation ‘Gideon Chariots’ will begin with great intensity and will not stop until all its goals are achieved,” he said, following the security cabinet’s decision to approve an 'expanded operation.'
❗️International airlines continue to cancel flights to Israel amid Yemeni missile threat
Flight cancellations to Israel persist following the Yemeni missile strike near Ben Gurion Airport:
– Delta, United Airlines, Wizz Air, Air Europa, Air India, LOT Polish Airlines, Air France, Iberia Express, and Ryanair have canceled flights to Israel.
– Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings) and Air India have suspended flights through 6 May.
– Wizz Air flights are suspended through Tuesday morning (7 May).
– British Airways flights are canceled until flight BA405 on 7 May. United Airlines will not fly to Tel Aviv until 8 May, and will not depart from it until 9 May.
– ITA Airways has canceled select flights, including flights 809 and 815 on 7 May.
⭕️ Israeli occupation forces raid former Syrian military HQ on Mount Hermon
Carried out under the guise of “defensive operations,”Israeli forces from the 810th Brigade raided the central headquarters of the former Syrian government’s Mount Hermon unit, dismantling bunkers and seizing large caches of weapons including rockets, mortars, and landmines, according to an official military statement.
PA president to call for 'full disarmament' of Palestinian factions in Lebanon: Report
Mahmoud Abbas will announce the plan during a visit to Lebanon later this month
⭕️ Iranian Defense Minister warns that any US/Israeli aggression will be met with 'overwhelming force'
Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that any military aggression by the US or Israel will be met with overwhelming force.
“Iran has plenty of reserves in its missile cities. If war (on Iran) is imposed, we will use them without hesitation,” he said, adding that Tehran would employ weapons “never used before.”
He dismissed US accusations over Iran’s role in Yemen, calling them baseless.
“Yemen is an independent state ... this has nothing to do with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Nasirzadeh said. He cautioned Washington against “creating crisis in the region,” warning that all US bases in surrounding countries would become “legitimate targets” if hostilities begin.
BREAKING | Israeli occupation forces begin demolishing a large number of homes and buildings in Tulkarem's Nour Shams Refugee Camp.
Israel has issued demolition orders for over 100 buildings in Tulkarem's camps.
⭕️ Israel exploits Syrian Druze minority as cover for expanding occupation, pushes for incursion toward Damascus
In a recent Jerusalem Post op-ed, Israeli commentator Avi Abelow openly advocates for the Israeli army to expand its occupation of southern Syria, all the way up to Damascus — under the guise of “protecting the Druze minority.”
Following days of deadly unrest near Damascus and in Suwayda, Israeli officials and media are reviving a familiar justification: military intervention and occupation to “protect minorities.” This comes amid reports of Israeli airstrikes on Syrian army positions and Israeli military helicopters evacuating Druze fighters to Israeli hospitals, while calls grow within Israel to “secure” territory up to the Syrian capital.
Beneath the rhetoric of protecting minorities, critics see a deeper strategy: accelerating Syria’s fragmentation and expanding Israel’s regional footprint.
⭕️ According to an exclusive report by Middle East Eye, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Lebanon on 19 May to announce an agreement with Lebanese officials to disarm Fatah and other Palestinian factions in Palestinian refugee camps, including by force if needed, and will publicly urge all Palestinian groups to lay down their arms.
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⭕️ Israel accuses Turkiye of financing Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon – alleging planes loaded with cash
Israel has accused Turkiye of facilitating Hezbollah’s resurgence in Lebanon, claiming that Turkish flights have been used to transport cash for the group.
In a letter to the UN Security Council, Israel detailed its allegations, which included flights originating from Turkiye carrying funds intended for Hezbollah’s operations.
These accusations come despite Israel’s long-maintained strategic ties with Turkiye.
The Israeli complaint claims these financial transfers violate UN sanctions and ceasefire agreements, but it is strikingly silent on the complex reality of its own regional alliances and actions. Israel’s increasingly absurd allegations against Turkiye raise questions about the credibility of its claims and the true motives behind its narrative.
❗️Israeli forces demolish a Palestinian home in the village of Al-Funduq, east of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank.
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Israel approves plan for Gaza 'conquest' and mass displacement
Israel has begun calling up reservists to implement a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza, first proposed just days after the 7 October Hamas attack
⭕️ A senior Yemeni source told Al-Mayadeen yesterday that Yemen is on the verge of a "qualitative leap" in military capabilities, warning that "no interception systems, regardless of their size or type, will be able to confront Yemen’s missiles."
The source said the army has activated new missile systems and is ready to impose “new equations,” adding that the recent targeting of Ben Gurion Airport proves “the precision of our weapons” and that Israeli efforts “failed to neutralize Yemeni capabilities or obtain a target bank.”
⭕️ The Ministry of Interior in the Gaza Strip announced that it is restructuring the Executive Force to secure the home front and restore security and stability.
The move was taken to confront thieves and collaborators with the occupation after their attempts to create chaos by looting aid warehouses and attacking shops and citizens’ property.
International airlines halt flights to Tel Aviv due to Yemeni air blockade
The Israeli government has pledged to retaliate against Yemen 'without restrictions' and has also threatened to target Iran
❗️Israel has killed at least 41 Palestinians in strikes across the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources to Al Jazeera)
⭕️ Israel names new Gaza operation, which involves the occupation of territory and mass displacement of Palestinians, 'Gideon’s Chariots'
According to Israeli media:
The name of Israel’s new military operation in Gaza, recently approved by the Security Cabinet, is Gideon's Chariots (Hebrew: מרכבות גדעון), which carries deliberate religious, historical, and military symbolism.
Symbolic meaning:
Gideon is a biblical figure from the Tribe of Manasseh, known for leading a small group of fighters to victory over the larger Midianite army through cunning and military strategy, according to the Book of Judges. In Israeli military theology, Gideon symbolizes triumph from a position of weakness or limited numbers, relying on "divine legitimacy" in battle.
Chariots: Refer to ancient war chariots, symbols of power, mobility, and swift attack. In modern terms, it may also evoke tanks or advanced military technology.
Historical context:
Israel previously named one of its 1948 Nakba operations “Operation Gideon,” which aimed to seize the Baysan (Beit She’an) region and expel its Palestinian inhabitants. The reuse of the name Merkavot Gideon today may echo this historical campaign of expulsion and control, reinforcing the colonial-settler undertones of the operation’s name.
Summary:
Merkavot Gideon is a name carefully chosen to provide religious and historical legitimacy to the operation. It evokes strength and determination in battle, while simultaneously referencing a renewed colonial impulse—where biblical figures are once again used to sanctify Israeli military violence against Palestinians.
❗️Israeli police violently disperse a protest by families of Israeli captives in front of the Knesset, after they gathered to demand an end to the war on Gaza and a final prisoner exchange deal.
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⭕️ Iran reiterated its commitment to continue negotiating with the United States today.
"We have announced our commitment to continuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy, and we have shown our full readiness by participating in several rounds of negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
Baghaei also noted that Tehran remains open on scheduling and is awaiting further information from mediator Oman about the next round of discussions with the US.
⭕️ One of Pope Francis’s former popemobiles is being converted into a mobile health clinic for children in Gaza, in accordance with one of his final wishes, the Vatican’s official media outlet reported on Sunday.
The vehicle, originally used by the Pope during his 2014 visit to the Holy Land, is now being equipped with emergency and diagnostic medical tools.
Yousef Al-Najjar, a four-month-old Palestinian infant, died of malnutrition on Monday in Gaza, as a direct result of Israel’s ongoing siege that has cut off the supply of essential goods, including baby formula and food. Medical staff say they were powerless to save him due to the collapse of the healthcare system under the Israeli blockade. His death is one of many illustrating the devastating impact of Israel’s deliberate policy of deprivation against Gaza’s civilian population. This video was filmed shortly before he died.
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Iranian FM visits Pakistan to promote 'de-escalation' with India
India has threatened military action after accusing Pakistan of involvement in an attack last month that killed 26 civilians in the disputed Kashmir region
❗️Israeli Finance Minister and settler leader Bezalel Smotrich:
“We are finally going to occupy the Gaza Strip. We will stop being afraid of the word ‘occupation.'"
(Israel's Channel 12)
❗️Government Media Office in Gaza:
"We firmly reject the Israeli plan to impose a new mechanism for distributing aid through centers controlled by the occupation army, which would turn humanitarian assistance into a tool of political blackmail.
The aid distribution mechanism that the occupation is trying to enforce in the Gaza Strip reinforces the policy of siege and starvation.
We stress the need for aid to be distributed through neutral international institutions and appreciate all responsible positions that have expressed rejection of this malicious plan."
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "32 martyrs (including 9 martyrs who were recovered) and 119 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals during the past 24 hours."
– "The death toll and injuries since 18 March 2025 has reached 2,459 martyrs and 6,569 injuries."
⭕️ Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad on Monday for a one-day visit amid rapidly escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the deadly attack on tourists in disputed Kashmir.
New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for the incident — a charge Pakistan firmly denies — and has since downgraded diplomatic ties and suspended the Indus Waters Treaty. According to Iran’s envoy in Islamabad, Araghchi’s visit will focus on regional de-escalation, with a stop in New Delhi expected later this week.
The attack has prompted high-profile Indian officials, media figures, and segments of the public to call for an “Israel-style” military response — a phrase that has raised alarm among observers drawing comparisons to Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Critics warn this rhetoric risks normalizing settler-colonial strategies of repression. Kashmir, one of the most heavily militarised regions in the world, remains a flashpoint since the 1947 partition, with both India and Pakistan claiming it in full. Islamabad has requested an urgent UN Security Council briefing, citing “credible intelligence” of possible Indian military action and what it calls New Delhi’s “aggressive posturing.”
⭕️ Iraq’s Electricity Minister held talks with UAE-based renewable energy company Masdar on Sunday to speed up a major 1,000-megawatt solar power project in the provinces of Maysan, Dhi Qar, and Anbar.
The two sides discussed finalizing the power purchase deal and removing delays. Iraq is pushing to expand solar energy as part of its goal to produce 12 GW of renewable power by 2030 and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
(Shafaq News)
❗️Hamas's Qassam Brigades reported this morning that during a complex ambush, its fighters successfully targeted an Israeli engineering foot patrol with an anti-personnel shell, then engaged the unit in close-quarters combat using automatic weapons, inflicting deaths and injuries among the soldiers.
Following the clash, the fighters also targeted two Israeli tanks and a military bulldozer with Yassin 105 shells near the separation fence in the al-Farahin area east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
⭕️ Iran has unveiled the Qassem Basir ballistic missile, an upgraded, solid-fuel weapon with a 1,200 km range and thermal imaging guidance, designed to evade missile defenses and resist electronic warfare.
Defense officials say it struck its target with high precision without GPS, and boasts enhanced maneuverability to bypass layered defense systems.