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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead in Washington
The shooter, Elias Rodriguez, chanted 'Free Palestine' as he was detained by police shortly after the killings
❗️Israeli military reports second missile intercepted from Yemen
The Israeli army announced it had intercepted another missile launched from Yemen, which triggered warning sirens. This follows an earlier statement in which the military claimed to have downed a separate missile fired by Ansarallah earlier in the day.
❗️One of the Israeli embassy staffers killed in the shooting outside the Jewish museum in Washington also had a German passport, a German diplomatic source said Thursday.
"The male victim also had a German passport," the source said, referring to Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky."
(AFP)
⭕️ How the idea for a Trump Tower in Damascus was born
A 45-storey Trump Tower is being planned in Damascus as part of Syria’s effort to attract international investment following the recent lifting of US sanctions. The $200 million project, spearheaded by UAE-based Tiger Group, was conceived to appeal directly to Donald Trump, blending business with diplomacy to fast-track Syria’s reintegration into global markets. Developer Walid Mohammad al-Zoubi is expected to apply for building permits this week, though the Trump Organization has not yet granted branding rights.
The idea originated after US Congressman Joe Wilson suggested a Trump Tower in Damascus last December. Syrian figures close to interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, including writer Radwan Ziadeh, advanced the plan as part of a broader charm offensive.
❗️Sirens were activated in both Jerusalem and Tel Aviv shortly after a missile was launched from Yemen.
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BREAKING | Yemeni Armed Forces claim missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets
The Yemeni Armed Forces announces it carried out a missile strike targeting Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in Lod using a Zulfiqar ballistic missile, reportedly bringing operations at the airport to a halt for nearly an hour.
In a separate operation, the group says its UAV unit launched two Yaffa drones at critical Israeli sites in Tel Aviv and Haifa.
⭕️ “We have suspended negotiations with this Israeli government on a new free trade agreement,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament.
Despite the shift in tone, Britain’s economic and military ties with Israel remain in place. These include a 2019 trade deal signed in Tel Aviv allowing tariff-free trade on 99% of goods, over £442 million in licensed arms sales since 2015, and the UK’s involvement in Israel’s F-35 program. A 2023 “2030 Roadmap” agreement also deepens cooperation in trade, security, and fighting “anti-Israel issues.”
❗️Israeli politicians blaming one another for shooting attack in Washington
Netanyahu’s office announced increased security at Israeli embassies worldwide. Meanwhile, political infighting has erupted, with far-right figures like Bezalel Smotrich blaming leftist leader Yair Golan for inciting violence. Golan fired back, saying it’s the hardline government’s actions and global unpopularity fueling such incidents.
⭕️ Yair Golan, head of Israel’s Democrats party, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of fueling global antisemitism and pushing Israel into political isolation. Golan, a former general, previously described Netanyahu’s leadership as “insane,” stating: “A sane country does not wage war on civilians, does not kill babies for sport.”
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❗️Video shows Palestinian child treated by phone light amid healthcare collapse
Palestinian photojournalist Mahmoud Bassam posted footage of a child receiving medical care under the light of a mobile phone at the Kuwaiti field hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza. The scene shows the dire conditions as hospitals run out of fuel and resources.
Bassam described the moment as a reflection of the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza’s health sector.
⭕️ Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi: No urgency in restoring Iran-Syria ties
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al-Sharq in an interview that Tehran is in no rush to reestablish formal ties with Damascus.
Commenting on recent US sanctions relief for Syria under the Trump administration, Araqchi said: “We are pleased that the US has lifted sanctions on the Syrian people. We hope Syria moves toward greater calm, territorial unity, an end to Israeli occupation, and national reconciliation.”
⭕️ Irish rapper charged with terrorism for waving Hezbollah flag in London
London’s Metropolitan Police announced Wednesday that Liam Ohanna, a member of the Northern Irish rap group Kneecap, has been charged with a terrorism offense for waving a Hezbollah flag during a concert at the O2 arena in November.
Police allege Ohanna displayed the flag “in a manner or in circumstances which aroused reasonable suspicion that he was a supporter of a proscribed organization”, a criminal act under the UK’s Terrorism Act 2000, which designates Hezbollah as a terrorist group.
⭕️ Israeli army demolishes Palestinian home in West Bank raid
Israeli forces have destroyed a house in Baqat al-Hatab during an overnight raid in the Palestinian village south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The house belonged to Sultan al-Jani, a Palestinian accused of killing an Israeli security guard with a hammer during an attack on an industrial park near the illegal settlement of Kedumim in August 2024.
❗️Israeli military vehicles have reportedly stormed the courtyard of Al-Awda Hospital in Tal al-Zaatar, northern Gaza, opening heavy fire in the vicinity overnight.
Tanks also targeted the hospital’s specialized surgery department, according to local reports.
❗️Medical sources in Gaza:
23 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
❗️Uruguay summons Israeli ambassador over attack on EU diplomats in Jenin, Palestine
Uruguay has become the latest to join a growing list of countries summoning Israeli ambassadors after Israeli forces opened fire near a group of EU and Arab diplomats in Jenin.
The Uruguayan Foreign Ministry called in Ambassador Michal Hershkovitz, requesting clarification after an Uruguayan representative was among those targeted during Wednesday’s incident.
❗️Israeli forces detain 25 Palestinians in West Bank raids
Israeli troops arrested 25 Palestinians overnight across multiple locations in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS). Among those detained are individuals previously released under the recent prisoner-exchange agreement.
The number of Palestinian political prisoners has surged dramatically, doubling from 5,250 in October 2023 to nearly 10,000 by April 2025.
Israel betting on collapse of nuclear talks, preparing ‘imminent’ attack on Iran: Report
Iran has rejected US demands for a complete halt to uranium enrichment, raising concerns about a potential failure of the talks
❗️Footage shows Israelis panicking as Yemen fires missiles in response to the blockade on Gaza.
Israeli media reports that a total of 37 ballistic missiles have been fired from Yemen toward Israel since the war on Gaza resumed on 18 March, 2025.
❗️Israeli media reports flights diverted from Ben Gurion Airport after Yemeni missile strike
Israeli outlets say several planes en route to Ben Gurion Airport were forced to turn back following a missile launched by Yemeni forces targeting central Israel.
UPDATE | Medical sources in Gaza report that 41 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
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⭕️ Iran and Russia aim for $10B trade target through financial reforms and regional integration. A 16 percent rise in Iran-Russia trade was reported last year, crediting the growth to intensified collaboration between entrepreneurs.
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❗️Thirteen bodies pulled from the rubble of destroyed homes in northern Gaza
13 bodies have been pulled from the rubble of two houses struck by Israeli forces in Jabalia al-Balad in the north of the Gaza Strip. According to Al Jazeera correspondents, a search and rescue operation is under way.
⭕️ Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reports that Israel is preparing to strike Iran’s nuclear sites if talks between US and Iran fail, citing Israeli sources via Axios.
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❗️Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, in his first meeting of the High Defense Council since assuming office, stressed the need to prevent Lebanon from becoming a platform for “destabilization”. While affirming the importance of the Palestinian cause, Aoun warned against dragging Lebanon into “conflicts that jeopardize its security.”
The council issued a warning to Hamas over the use of Lebanese territory for actions deemed threatening to national security.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed the stance, calling for the handover of all “illegal weapons” in line with the Taif Agreement and the government’s policy statement.
⭕️ Trump says Washington attack rooted in anti-Semitism
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump condemned the killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, a short while ago, saying they were “based obviously on anti-Semitism”.
“Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen!” he added.
❗️Initial reports of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
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⭕️ Palestinian Authority president continues talks in Lebanon
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is currently in Lebanon and will meet Lebanon’s PM Nawaf Salam and House Speaker Nabih Berri later today.
Talks between them will focus on the development of an enforcement mechanism and framework to begin the process of disarming Palestinian factions, as well as dismantling their military infrastructure in camps in Lebanon.
❗️Israeli settlers obstruct humanitarian aid trucks from leaving Ashdod port en route to Gaza.
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❗️Two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, shouted "Free Palestine" during his arrest and had no prior police record, according to authorities.
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