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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️A video shows Israel's bombardment of a cement factory in Bajil, Hodeidah Governorate, Yemen.
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❗️Israel bombs Hodeidah while the US bombs the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
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❗️Israel's Channel 12 reports that over 30 Israeli warplanes are currently launching extensive attacks on Yemen.
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BREAKING | Joint Israeli-American airstrikes reported in Hodeidah, Yemen.
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❗️New footage shows how Israel demolished several homes today in Rafah, southern Gaza.
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❗️Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X:
"I met today with my friend, the President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, in Jerusalem.
We appreciate the decision to establish an innovation center in our capital. We agreed on practical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, water, defense, and security.
Israel and Ecuador stand together in the face of shared threats and work to promote peace, security, and prosperity.
Welcome to Israel!"
⭕️ Oil prices dropped by over $1 a barrel today after OPEC+ announced plans to speed up production increases.
Brent crude futures fell $1.54, or 2.51%, to $59.75 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude declined by $1.64, or 2.81%, to $56.61.
Both benchmarks opened Monday at their lowest levels since 9 April.
⭕️ The Hind Rajab Foundation announced on 3 May, what would have been Hind Rajab’s 7th birthday, that it has identified the Israeli soldier responsible for her killing.
Following over a year of investigation, the foundation said it filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Lt. Colonel Beni Aharon of the Israeli army. It also confirmed it had identified the commander, brigade, and battalion involved in the killing of Hind, her family, and the two medics who attempted to save her.
❗️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.
❗️Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reports that at least 50 missiles and bombs were launched by Israeli warplanes on Yemen.
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❗️Channel 13, citing a security official:
"The current airstrikes in Yemen are merely a repetition of the past. We do not expect the airstrikes to stop Houthi missile launches, and the Air Force is also preparing for a possible Houthi response."
UPDATE | US and Israel target Hodeidah Port with at least 6 airstrikes.
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❗️The US House has pulled House Resolution 867, the IGO Anti-Boycott Act, which was scheduled for a vote today.
The bill, introduced by pro-Israel lawmakers Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer, seeks to expand existing US anti-boycott laws by targeting individuals who choose to boycott Israel.
Under the proposed legislation, those participating in such boycotts could face civil fines of up to $300,000, along with criminal penalties including fines of up to $1 million and prison sentences of up to 20 years.
ICJ rejects Sudan's genocide case against UAE
Sudan accuses the UAE of supporting the RSF in committing genocide against the Masalit people in the Darfur region
❗️US President Donald Trump announces he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan "at a future date."
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❗️Dutch police arrested five pro-Palestine protesters for "disturbing public order" during a Liberation Day ceremony in Wageningen, central Netherlands.
Around 250–300 demonstrators had gathered during the World War II anniversary event to oppose Israel's war on Gaza and criticize the Dutch government's inaction, carrying signs and an 80-meter red banner symbolizing a "red line" the government has failed to draw.
BREAKING | Israel bombs civilian car west of Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, killing at least 6 people.
Israel has killed over 45 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
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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