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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that three rounds of secret talks between Syrian and Israeli officials were held in Abu Dhabi, hosted by a prominent Emirati figure. The discussions, which were mediated by the UAE’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Intelligence under Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, included two Israeli security-focused personnel and three close associates of Syria’s new interim president. The talks were described as “exploratory and non-binding,” with each side reporting directly to their leadership.
“Unlike Iranian-American negotiations, the Syrian and Israeli delegations sat together at the same table, surrounded by luxurious Emirati hospitality designed to foster trust.”
⭕️ Ahead of Donald Trump’s West Asia visit next week, heavy US and regional pressure is mounting on Israel and the Palestinian resistance to finalize a ceasefire and prisoner-exchange deal.
The proposed outline includes a temporary ceasefire, the release of 5–8 captives (including a US-Israeli soldier), and the introduction of humanitarian aid. However, Israeli officials fear the plan will be watered down to give Trump a diplomatic win during his visit, potentially forcing Israel to accept a less favorable version of the agreement.
Israeli sources say Netanyahu is under immense pressure to comply with Washington’s timeline and avoid embarrassing Trump. The Americans have warned Israel not to launch a renewed military offensive in Gaza before or during Trump’s stay, urging a pause instead.
(Maariv)
❗️The Head of the Bakery Owners Association in Gaza tells Al-Arabiya TV: “All bakeries have shut down due to a total lack of flour and fuel. Bread has run out completely, and half of Gaza’s homes have no flour left.”
He warns of looming famine: “We will die of hunger if we wait two more weeks for the American plan. The occupation has destroyed 25 bakeries—mostly in northern Gaza. The only solution is immediate access through open crossings.”
BREAKING | Gaza’s Water Crisis Deepens
Gaza Municipality spokesperson Asem al-Nabih told Al Jazeera that 75% of Gaza’s water wells are significantly damaged, leaving residents without sufficient daily water. Currently, less than 50% of the area can be supplied.
⭕️ Iran’s Foreign Ministry has announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday, as part of Tehran’s ongoing efforts to strengthen regional ties. In Riyadh, Araghchi is scheduled to meet with senior Saudi officials, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Later that day, he will travel to Doha to participate in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue Summit.
He is set to meet with senior Saudi officials in Riyadh before traveling to Doha in the evening to attend the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit.
❗️Circulating footage from Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, shows dozens of local youth clearing rubble from the streets with their bare hands to open a path for a civil defense vehicle rushing to a bombed home.
With Israeli airstrikes last month destroying nearly all remaining rubble removal equipment in the area, such scenes reflect both the devastation and the resilience of Gaza’s civilians, who are forced to rely on their own hands to clear the way for emergency aid.
❗️Jordanian authorities have profited heavily from Gaza aid deliveries according to a Middle East Eye report, charging steep fees during Israel’s war on the enclave. The Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), coordinating with Israel, has acted as the sole channel for aid through Jordan.
Sources revealed that $2,200 was demanded per aid truck and up to $400,000 per airdrop, despite planes carrying less than half a truck’s load.
❗️The Israeli military announces the deaths of two of its soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
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❗️Earlier today, as part of the newly announced 'Gates of Hell' series operations, Hamas's Qassam Brigades reported that its fighters targeted 7 Israeli soldiers with an explosive device near the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in the Al-Tannour neighborhood, east of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, and "observed the remains of several enemy soldiers scattered at the scene."
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US 'delinks' Saudi nuclear program from normalization with Israel: Report
Hebrew media reports indicate that Trump has 'lost patience' with Netanyahu and is seeking to advance US interests in West Asia independently of Israel
❗️Israeli Army Radio (GLZ):
– Trump has decided to cut off communication with Netanyahu. This may change later, but it is the current situation.
– Trump’s inner circle told Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer that what Trump hates most is being portrayed as naive or manipulated, and Netanyahu was manipulating the US president.
US ceasefire in Yemen: Retreat masquerading as restraint
The US ends its Red Sea campaign not by victory, but by necessity – under relentless pressure from an underestimated Yemeni resistance.
By Mawadda Iskandar
❗️Chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor Ramy Abdu:
"The US-Israeli plan to assign the distribution of limited aid in Gaza to international companies is not a humanitarian initiative — it is a calculated maneuver to repackage the siege, regulate starvation, and weaponize food as a tool of subjugation and forced displacement.
The plan is run by former US military personnel and aid organizations under tight surveillance. It is executed through fixed-time distribution centers, with no involvement of Palestinians themselves — a blatant violation of the obligation to ensure the immediate, effective, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance as enshrined in international law.
This is not about relief, but about control — buying Israel more time, expanding its military grip on the ground, and pushing civilians into displacement through exhaustion and hunger, reducing them to broken spirits and empty stomachs waiting for a weekly ration.
This is not a relief plan — it is a new form of siege, mass starvation, and forced displacement, masked in the language of 'humanitarian work.'
What is urgently needed is the immediate and unrestricted entry of life-saving aid and essentials that ensure a dignified existence, allowing people to rebuild their future on their own land — as they have always proven their ability to excel and contribute to humanity.
The Palestinian people are not objects of pity. They do not want humiliating handouts — they demand their full right to life, freedom, dignity, and to remain on their land."
UPDATE | Qassam Brigades reports that its fighters struck a 12-member Israeli engineering unit preparing to demolish a house in eastern Rafah, using two anti-personnel and anti-armor shells.
The attack caused a powerful explosion, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Syrian officials visited Israel for secret security talks: Report
A backchannel between Israel and Syria's extremist-led government was opened with help from the UAE
⭕️ Just days ahead of the Eurovision contest in Switzerland, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) issued a travel advisory for Israelis heading to Basel for the annual music event.
On Thursday, the NSC highlighted that around 360 pro-Palestine demonstrations have occurred across Switzerland over the past year, with more expected during the contest, driven by opposition to the participation of Israeli contestant Yuval Raphael.
“It is recommended to stay away from these centers of friction and demonstrations, which may escalate into violence,” the NSC stated.
⭕️ Abu Dhabi’s biggest publicly traded firm, IHC, announced that it intends to launch a $1 billion AI-powered reinsurance platform in collaboration with BlackRock.
According to a statement from IHC, the new venture aims to take on $10 billion in liabilities, with BlackRock and Abu Dhabi-based alternative investment firm Lunate participating as partners.
Breaking | Haaretz: The US is applying intense pressure on Israel to strike a deal with Hamas, warning Tel Aviv it will be left to face the consequences alone if it refuses. This comes as Trump is set to visit the region.
Senior Israeli official Witkov reportedly told families of Israeli captives that continued war risks their children’s lives. He warned that if kidnapped soldiers are punished for the war’s failures, Israel itself will suffer the most. Witkov’s criticism of the Israeli government was intentionally leaked at his own request.
⭕️ Despite tens of thousands of children being injured in Gaza, the UK government has admitted only two Palestinian girls for medical treatment—and not for war injuries, but for congenital conditions unrelated to Israel’s ongoing assault. Their care was privately arranged and funded by doctors and volunteers, not the NHS or Foreign Office.
This stands in contrast to the UK’s swift acceptance of Ukrainian children during the war in 2022. Despite British hospitals offering to treat wounded children from Gaza and funds being secured, UK authorities have repeatedly denied visas, blocking life-saving care for blast victims, amputees, and burn survivors.
Source: Middle East Eye
⭕️ In a joint statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping warned of the rising global risk of nuclear conflict, criticizing the US’s ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense system as a direct threat to strategic stability.
The leaders condemned the deployment of advanced weapons systems near nuclear powers, the expansion of military alliances, and efforts to weaponize space. They accused some nuclear-armed states of clinging to Cold War mentalities and stressed that such policies are escalating tensions between nuclear powers.
❗️A new Maariv poll shows Netanyahu’s coalition would win just 48 Knesset seats if elections were held today, falling short of a majority.
Meanwhile, opposition parties would secure 62 seats.
⭕️ Hamas congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost on Thursday following his election as Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in history. The group urged him to follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who was known for his vocal support of the Palestinian people and condemnation of “Israel’s terrorism” in Gaza.
In a statement, Hamas said it “extends its sincere congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of his election as Head of the Catholic Church.”
❗️UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini:
"An assault on children. An assault on education. A sad day in occupied East Jerusalem.
This morning, heavily armed Israeli Forces entered three UNRWA schools in Shu’fat Camp in occupied East Jerusalem, forcing 550+ girls and boys who were in classrooms out of their schools.
One UNRWA staff member was detained.
As a result, UNRWA was forced to evacuate all children across the six schools it runs in East Jerusalem.
Now, nearly 800 girls and boys - some as young as 6 years old - are left in shock and trauma.
Storming schools and forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law. These schools are inviolable premises of the United Nations. By enforcing closure orders issued last month, the Israeli authorities are denying Palestinian children their basic right to learn.
UNRWA schools must continue to be open to safeguard an entire generation of children."
❗️According to Israel Hayom, Israeli officials believe Trump lacks the Senate support needed to advance a Saudi civilian nuclear deal unless it includes an Israeli component, noting that any agreement bypassing Israeli consent is unlikely to pass.
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❗️US drops Israel normalization as condition for Saudi nuclear deal
In a major policy shift, Washington has abandoned its previous demand that Saudi Arabia normalize ties with Israel as a precondition for advancing civilian nuclear cooperation, Reuters reports, citing informed sources. The move comes just days ahead of Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to Riyadh on May 13, where he is expected to attend a Gulf leaders’ summit.
Qatar gets US greenlight to bankroll public sector salaries in Syria
Gulf states that were involved in funding extremist armed groups during the regime change war in Syria have recently pledged to pay off Damascus's World Bank debt
Ansarallah leader says US war failed to stop Yemen, reaffirms support for Palestine
The Yemeni Armed Forces has stated it will continue to enforce an air and sea blockade against Israel until the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza comes to a halt
Pakistan says India deployed fleet of Israeli drones as border tensions escalate
India is the world's largest purchaser of Israeli weapons
❗️The Trump administration slapped sanctions on a third Chinese 'teapot' (independent) refinery, Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co, along with three Chinese port terminal operators, for buying Iranian oil.
(US Treasury)
❗️Highlights from leader of Ansarallah Abdul Malik al-Houthi's latest speech:
– "Our country has resumed its full stance—militarily, officially, and popularly—to support the Palestinian people since the resumption of the genocide."
– "Our supporting operations from 14 March to 7 May have reached more than 131, carried out with 253 ballistic, cruise, hypersonic missiles and drones."
– The Israeli enemy’s targeting is not limited to one group over another; rather, it targets everyone through various forms of comprehensive destruction."
– The Zionist plan toward Arabs and Muslims is clear, and their view toward all is the same—even toward those who normalize relations and align with them."
– “Religious Zionism and secular Zionism compete in achieving outcomes within the framework of the Greater Israel plan."
– "Despite the immense capabilities in the hands of the Israeli enemy, it receives all forms of support from America and Western countries."
– "This week, we conducted several operations using 10 missiles and drones targeting Jaffa, Ashkelon, the Negev, Umm al-Rashrash, and occupied Haifa."
– "The resonance of the operation targeting Ben Gurion Airport was very wide on the global level and in expert and analyst commentary."