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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️US senators urge Trump to act against Israeli blockade on Gaza aid
Several US senators have called on the Trump administration to use “all diplomatic tools” to pressure Israel to lift its blockade on humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Senator Peter Welch said children are starving to death while the US debates political priorities, calling the crisis a direct result of Israel’s deliberate policy to withhold food and medicine. He cited the recent death of four-month-old Jinan Iskafi as “entirely avoidable and preventable.”
⭕️ New York University is withholding a student’s diploma after he spoke out against Israel’s brutal war on Gaza during his graduation speech
On Wednesday, Logan Rozos, the undergraduate student speaker from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, said in his address: “The only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine.”
In response, NYU issued a statement condemning what it called the student’s decision “to misuse his role as student speaker to express his personal and one-sided political views.”
❗️UK politicians attend secret Israeli event at British Museum
A covert Israeli embassy event held at the British Museum on Tuesday drew top UK political figures, including Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage, and comedian Jimmy Carr, to celebrate Israel’s 77th so-called “Independence Day,” widely known as Nakba Day. The event was not publicly disclosed, and museum staff were reportedly asked to leave early under the pretext of a “large corporate event.”
Inside, Labour ministers mingled with Conservative and Reform UK figures, while Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely, known for denying the Nakba and opposing the creation of a Palestinian state, delivered the keynote speech. The gathering came just hours after the UK government faced legal scrutiny over the export of F-35 parts that could be used in Israeli warplanes, and as Israel approved a plan to seize and hold territory in Gaza.
❗️Trump in Abu Dhabi: Iran’s nuclear program will be handled “one way or another”
Speaking at the US-UAE Business Council in Abu Dhabi, US President Donald Trump said the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program will be resolved “either nicely, through an agreement, or not nicely,” hinting at the possibility of military action. “We’re talking to them — I think they’ve come a long way,” he added.
While both Washington and Tehran publicly back diplomacy, key red lines continue to divide negotiators. Iran, denies seeking nuclear weapons.
⭕️ Ethiopia and Iran sign intel-sharing agreement
Ethiopia and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on 6 May to boost cooperation between their national police forces. The deal focuses on intelligence sharing, joint training, and combating cross-border crime.
Ethiopia’s federal police highlighted the agreement’s built-in monitoring mechanisms to ensure its implementation. The move follows a series of recent security engagements by Ethiopia, including talks with a UAE police delegation in March.
❗️A Palestinian child wounded in Israeli attacks is brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza, on May 15, 2025.
(Hani Alshaer/Anadolu)
⭕️ Microsoft says: “no evidence Israeli military used our tech to harm civilians in Gaza”
The US tech conglomerate announced on Thursday that following an interview review, it found “no evidence” that its technology has been used by the Israeli military to harm civilians during its war on Gaza.
The review came following months of protests and allegations from Microsoft employees that the company is complicit in international law violations through its commercial relationship with the Israeli military.
Microsoft provides software, cloud infrastructure and AI services to Israel’s Ministry of Defence and Israel’s government.
❗️Iran’s UN envoy slams disinformation on Gaza war
Iranian Ambassador to the UN, Amir-Saeed Iravani, accused Israel and the US of promoting false narratives aimed at flipping the roles of victim and aggressor in the Gaza war.
He warned that these disinformation campaigns seek to legitimize Israeli actions and obscure the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Strip.
❗️Newly released data shows the UK approved $169 million worth of arms exports to Israel between October and December 2024 — just months after the Labour government announced a partial freeze over concerns the weapons could be used unlawfully in Gaza.
The approvals covered 20 separate licenses, including military aircraft, radar systems, targeting equipment, and explosive devices, raising questions about the effectiveness and intent of the suspension.
❗️Footage shows Israeli warplanes striking the Al-Baaz family home in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, with heavy munitions.
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❗️Director-General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza:
“The occupation is using modern, internationally prohibited weapons to target civilian infrastructure. We urgently call for an international investigation into the types of banned weapons being used, especially as we are seeing a disturbing rise in the number of deformed fetuses, a direct result of these attacks.”
“We are also facing a severe shortage of medical supplies, personnel, and intensive care capacity. On top of that, the lack of water and sanitation security is placing an enormous burden on the ministry and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.”
❗️US senator says Trump foreign policy officials may have floated 'option' of assassinating President Ahmad al-Sharaa
“Jordan's king warned the US against assassinating Syria's Sharaa before his meeting with Trump.”
This statement by a US senator reveals the deep hostility toward Sharaa in some circles of the Trump administration. Trump previously said that he has been lobbied directly by foreign leaders to “give Sharaa a chance,” while his own advisors are sceptical.
❗️Several parked vehicles with Palestinian license plates were torched this morning by Israeli settler militias near the Ariel settlement in the occupied West Bank.
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⭕️ HTS administration in Damascus and DP World have signed an $800 million memorandum of understanding to develop Syria’s Tartous port:
– DP World is a logistics company owned by the UAE’s Dubai World investment firm.
– The agreement includes joint efforts to develop, manage, and operate a multi-purpose terminal in Tartous, along with the creation of industrial and free trade zones.
– The signing follows President Trump’s announcement during his Gulf tour, including a stop in the UAE, that he intends to lift sanctions on Syria.
❗️The spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza tells Al Jazeera:
– The situation in Gaza is catastrophic in every sense.
– Israeli forces are targeting ambulances across the Strip.
- Most of the wounded arriving at the hospital have suffered limb amputations.
❗️Morning Recap: 16 May, 2025
– At least two people have been killed by Israeli shelling that targeted housing areas for displaced Palestinians in Beit Lahia, according to Al Jazeera Arabic
– The Israeli army killed five Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after an Israeli settler was killed in a shooting there Medical sources in Gaza say at least 21 people are now confirmed killed by Israeli attacks in the five hours since midnight local time in Gaza. Israeli settlers have raided town of Bruqin, west of Salfit, in the occupied West Bank and set fire to a Palestinian flag and Palestinian-owned vehicles.
– In the west of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza, at least two people have been killed and more injured after the Israeli military bombed a home in al-Fakhoura.
– An Israeli aerial assault on the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza over recent hours. Hundreds of Beit Lahia residents have fled the area to escape Israel’s bombardment.
⭕️ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Syrian FM, backs Syria–Israel thaw
Rubio met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Antalya on Thursday—the first high-level US-Syria meeting in 15 years.
Rubio welcomed Syria’s outreach toward Israel, its pledge to curb Iranian influence, and efforts to resolve US missing persons cases. The meeting followed Trump’s announcement to lift sanctions and was held alongside Turkish mediation efforts.
⭕️ France sues Iran at UN court over detained citizens
France has filed a case against Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Tehran of violating international obligations by detaining two French nationals, Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, for the past three years. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the pair are being held in conditions amounting to torture and labeled them “state hostages.”
Kohler and her partner were arrested in May 2022 during a tourist visit to Iran on charges of espionage. The case comes as Iran prepares to meet with European powers in Turkey for talks on its nuclear program.
⭕️ China reaffirms support for Iran nuclear talks
China reiterated its backing for a diplomatic resolution to the Iran nuclear issue ahead of Tehran’s talks with the UK, France, and Germany in Istanbul on Friday.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said China respects Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy and opposes all illegal unilateral sanctions. He added that China remains committed to working with all parties to reach a balanced and fair solution.
⭕️ Iraq offers support for ongoing Iran–US negotiations
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid expressed his country’s readiness to support ongoing talks between Iran and the United States.
“We welcome the negotiations between Iran and the US,” he told Al-Sharq TV. “We fully support their success and are prepared to provide whatever is needed to help achieve constructive outcomes.”
⭕️ US President Donald Trump announced over $200 billion in deals with the United Arab Emirates and pledged to strengthen bilateral ties, including expanded cooperation in artificial intelligence. The agreements feature a $14.5 billion investment by Etihad Airways in Boeing aircraft and the launch of a major AI campus, alongside the establishment of a US-UAE AI partnership framework.
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⭕️ Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s refugee camps are speculative about reported plans by Mahmoud Abbas to push for their disarmament during his upcoming visit to Beirut.
With no official communication confirming such intentions, some factions remain unmoved by what they describe as media speculation rather than a concrete policy initiative.
Last week, Abbas was reportedly set to visit Lebanon on 19 May and call on all Palestinian factions to disarm, including his own Palestinian National Liberation Movement, more commonly known as Fatah.
❗️Hamas says Netanyahu only asked for 10 Israeli captives in latest offer
Hamas official Taher al-Nono revealed Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest proposal requested the release of only 10 Israeli captives, signaling, in his words, a lack of genuine concern for the issue and a continued push for war. “Any exchange must be comprehensive and tied to a complete end to the war,” Nono stated. “We will not return to the interim phase.”
Nono added that Hamas has informed Egyptian mediators of its readiness to hand over Gaza’s administration to a mutually agreed-upon committee. He emphasized that Israel has yet to offer any meaningful concessions and continues to reject all ceasefire proposals put forward by mediators.
❗️Trilateral meetings underway at Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul
– The Turkiye–US–Ukraine meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:45, followed by the Turkiye–Russia–Ukraine meeting at 12:30.
– Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has arrived at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office to lead the Turkish delegation in the trilateral session.
❗️Israel has killed at least 52 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources to Al Jazeera)
❗️Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami announced that Iran will soon unveil a major achievement in defense technology, marking a significant breakthrough in recent weeks. The statement was made during a ceremony commemorating the first anniversary of the martyrs of service in Tehran’s Imam Hussein Square.
Salami also strongly criticized US President Donald Trump, accusing him of launching a psychological war to spread despair among Iranians. He described Trump as “the killer of Martyr Qassem Soleimani,” stressing that the Iranian people view the US with deep hostility.
❗️Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital spokesperson to Al Jazeera:
– Brain, nerve, and chest surgeries have been suspended due to the collapse of the healthcare system.
– Most of the wounded arriving at the hospital have suffered amputations or severe burns.
– Medical staff are unable to provide care due to extreme shortages in supplies and medication.
– Gaza’s hospitals are overwhelmed, and 300,000 patients with chronic illnesses have no access to necessary treatment.
– The continued closure of crossings is exacerbating the crisis.
– Hospital officials are urgently calling on the international community to pressure Israel to open humanitarian corridors.
❗️Israeli Broadcasting Authority, citing former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy:
– “Israel does not prioritize the hostages.”
– “Israel’s strategic position has suffered a severe blow.”
❗️Spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, Mahmoud Basal, told Al Jazeera that Israeli forces are abducting civilians from shelters in northern Gaza following a night of intense bombardment and continuous assaults. Details about those taken remain unclear, as the targeted areas are largely inaccessible due to ongoing attacks.
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