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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Some of the bodies that were abducted by the Israeli occupation forces in Tamoun were seen being carried by the blade of a bulldozer.
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Trump says nuclear deal with Iran ‘getting close’
Washington has targeted several Iranian individuals and entities with sanctions since the conclusion of the latest round of nuclear talks with Tehran
❗️Israel confirms the death of one settler in the shooting that took place near the Bruchin settlement last night.
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⭕️ At the NATO meeting in Antalya, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for a more balanced distribution of defense responsibilities across the alliance. “We share Mark Rutte’s vision — the incoming NATO Secretary General — that we need a security network stretching from Texas to Ankara,” he said.
Fidan also expressed hope that the upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul “will open a new page,” adding that Turkiye will work with NATO allies to support the process through a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to Euro-Atlantic security.
⭕️ UN, European states sign agreement to coordinate foreign support for Lebanese Army
The Lebanese Ministry of Defense, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding yesterday at the Lebanese Army headquarters in Yarze.
The agreement aims to coordinate international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and is backed by funding from several donor states, including the European Union, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
❗️Gaza European Hospital out of service after targeted Israeli strikes
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has announced that the Gaza European Hospital has gone out of service following direct Israeli attacks that caused extensive infrastructure damage and disrupted internal departments.
Specialized services including neurosurgery, chest surgery, cardiology, and ophthalmology have been suspended. The hospital’s closure has also cut off cancer patients from accessing life-saving treatment protocols.
❗️Lufthansa extends flight cancellations to Israel until end of month
The Lufthansa Group has announced an extension of its suspension of all flights to Israel until 25 May, according to Israel Hayom. The move comes amid Yemen’s air siege in support of the people of Gaza.
❗️President Donald Trump:
“We are negotiating with Iran to achieve sustainable peace,” Trump said, adding, “I believe we are close to reaching an agreement… there is progress on the Iran issue and they have largely agreed to the terms of the agreement.” He reiterated Washington’s red line: “Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon,” while insisting, “We want Iran to be a great country, but it cannot possess a nuclear weapon.”
Trump praised Qatar’s role in the negotiations, stating, “Iran is lucky to have an emir in Qatar who is fighting to avoid attacking them,” and added, “Iran should thank the Emir of Qatar greatly, as others would like us to deal a severe blow to Iran, unlike Qatar.” He also extended gratitude to Gulf leaders more broadly: “My admiration for people like the Saudi Crown Prince and the Emir of Qatar makes me work 20-hour days.”
❗️Israel has killed at least 74 Palestinians in strikes across the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources to Al Jazeera)
UPDATE | Contrary to earlier Hebrew reports, the current status is that the two settlers are reported to be in critical condition, and there is no longer talk of deaths in the Israeli media anymore.
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❗️Israeli soldiers opened fire on photojournalist Courtney Bonneau earlier today while she was documenting Israeli military activity near the Lebanese town of Houla. The incident occurred despite prior coordination with both the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, who had granted her permission to photograph near an illegal Israeli military base in Houla, South Lebanon.
Bonneau reported that two Israeli soldiers emerged from the base and began shooting shortly after she captured footage and images of the area. She was in Houla attending the funeral of a civilian killed by Israeli fire the previous day. “Lebanon is occupied. The Israeli army is killing people here almost every day,” she wrote in a statement on social media. Her attempt to document that reality, she added, was met with gunfire—not accountability.
BREAKING | Shooting operation near the Israeli settlement of Bruchin in Salfit Governorate, northern occupied West Bank, leaves two Israeli settlers in critical condition, according to Israeli media. There are early reports of a death.
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Qatar inks $200bn jet order with Boeing during Trump visit
During his ongoing tour of the Persian Gulf, the US president has obtained investment pledges worth hundreds of billions in US industries
BREAKING | Israel announces it will bomb for several buildings in north of Gaza, issuing "evacuation" orders.
Among the buildings are schools, a hospital l,and a university
❗️Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced that he will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani tomorrow after the NATO Informal Foreign Ministers Meeting in Antalya.
(TRT)
❗️Israeli occupation forces bulldoze home in Tamoun after killing four Palestinians, seize bodies
After killing four Palestinians during a raid in the town of Tamoun, north of the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces deployed a military bulldozer to demolish the house where the victims were besieged and bombed.
The bodies of the four were confiscated by the army, and their families were prevented from approaching the site.
❗️Donald Trump Says US should ‘take’ Gaza, turn it into a ‘freedom zone’
Speaking from Qatar on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he would support direct American involvement in Gaza, suggesting that the US “take” the besieged territory and transform it into what he called a “freedom zone.”
“I have concepts for Gaza… I’d be proud to have the United States take it, make it a freedom zone,” Trump said, as reported by AFP. Remarks were made as Israel intensifies its military assault and blockade on the Palestinian enclave.
⭕️ US President Donald Trump is scheduled to conclude his visit to Qatar today with an address to American troops before heading to the United Arab Emirates.
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, the US has a preliminary deal with the UAE permitting the import of 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually, beginning this year.
❗️Israeli forces mutilate bodies of executed Palestinians in Tammun
According to Al Jazeera sources, Israeli occupation forces mutilated the bodies of Palestinians they executed during a raid in the town of Tammun, north of the occupied West Bank, before transferring the corpses to an undisclosed location.
❗️Responding to US President Donald Trump's remarks about Iran during his visit to Saudi Arabia, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized, “We seek peace, not war. They are the warmongers.”
He added that Iran is committed to fostering peace and stability both domestically and with neighboring countries such as Azerbaijan, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, stating "We seek brotherhood and equality.”
(IRNA)
❗️Journalist death toll in Gaza rises to 216
The Government Media Office in Gaza has announced that the number of journalists killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza has reached 216, following the assassination of Palestinian journalist Hassan Samour in his home east of Khan Younis at dawn today.
❗️Israeli airstrikes kill at least 80 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including dozens of children
Israeli forces carried out a series of intensified airstrikes across the Gaza Strip overnight, killing at least 80 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.
At least 57 of the victims, mostly children, were killed in Khan Younis after homes and makeshift tents were directly targeted. Disturbing images of dead and wounded children have emerged from overwhelmed hospitals in the south.
⭕️ Oil prices slide 3% amid reports of progress in US-Iran nuclear talks
Oil prices dropped sharply on Thursday as renewed US-Iran negotiations raised expectations of a potential nuclear deal that could ease sanctions and reintroduce Iranian oil into global markets. Brent crude fell $2.16 to $63.93, while WTI dropped $2.10 to $61.05. An Iranian official told NBC News that Tehran is willing to forgo highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief — a move that could significantly shift the crude supply balance.
The talks, now in their fourth round in Oman, come as the US imposes new sanctions targeting Iran’s ballistic missile program and oil export networks. Meanwhile, US crude inventories unexpectedly rose by 3.5 million barrels, fueling market concerns over oversupply. Saudi Arabia has voiced support for the talks, with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan expressing hope for a positive outcome.
❗️The military spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida:
– “We commend the heroic shooting operation near the town of Bruqin, west of Salfit, carried out by our people in the West Bank.”
– “We call on the masses to rise up against the Israeli occupation in defense of Al-Aqsa, in response to the Israeli aggression targeting the West Bank and its refugee camps, and in solidarity with their steadfast Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza.”
❗️Head of the "Samaria" Regional Council, Yossi Dagan, on the shooting in the northern occupied West Bank:
“We expect the Israeli government and the senior IDF command to officially declare that the doctrine of containment is dead, and to flatten the villages from which four shooting attacks were launched on the same road. It’s time to carry out a military operation there and level [them], exactly like we’re doing in Khan Yunis.”
UPDATE | According to Israeli reports, one settler has been killed and the other is in critical condition.
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From BFFs to blocked: Trump ghosts Netanyahu in redrawing the region
Trump is reshaping West Asia without Israel in the room – and Netanyahu can’t get him on the line.
By Anis Raiss
Apparently, dignity and glory now come gift-wrapped from Riyadh – and sealed by Trump.
Back in 2015, however, Abu Mohammad al-Julani begged to differ.
Israeli army admits civilians make up 80 percent of those killed in Gaza since March
Israel privately relies on the Palestinian Health Ministry's figures for the total death toll, while publicly dismissing the data as unreliable
⭕️ US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani signed a statement of defense cooperation between the two countries. President Donald Trump also signed a joint declaration of cooperation with the Emir.
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