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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
“Yes, we are committing war crimes.” These are the words of Israel’s former prime minister, not its critics.
After months of denying the reality of what Israel is doing in Gaza, Ehud Olmert calls it what it is: a war of annihilation.
US delivers 90,000 tons of weapons to Israel in 600 days of genocide
Washington remains the leading provider of the bombs used to ethnically cleanse Gaza, followed by Germany and Italy
❗️Israel's Channel 12, citing a source:
"The extreme overcrowding and intense pressure at the new aid center led Gazans to seize everything—they took the aid, the equipment, the tables, the chairs, the nets—everything they could find."
BREAKING | Gaza Government Media Office: "The Israeli occupation has utterly failed in its project to distribute aid in the 'racist buffer zones' amid the collapse of the humanitarian pathway and escalation of the crime of starvation.
We affirm that the Israeli occupation's project to distribute aid in so-called "buffer zones" has completely failed, as confirmed by field reports and even acknowledged by Hebrew media. Thousands of starving people—who have been besieged and denied food and medicine by the occupation for nearly 90 days—rushed into these zones in a heartbreaking and tragic scene. The situation ended with the storming of distribution centers and the seizing of food under the pressure of deadly hunger, prompting the occupation forces to open fire and injure several civilians. This clearly reflects the total collapse of the humanitarian path that the occupation falsely claims to uphold.
What happened today is undeniable proof of the occupation's failure to manage the humanitarian crisis it deliberately created through policies of starvation, blockade, and bombing. It constitutes a continuation of a full-fledged genocide under international law, especially Article II of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Moreover, the establishment of "isolated ghettos" for the distribution of limited aid amid danger of death, bullets, and starvation does not reflect any genuine intent to resolve the crisis. Instead, it represents a systematic political engineering aimed at sustaining starvation, dismantling Palestinian society, and imposing politicized humanitarian pathways that serve the occupation's military and security agendas.
📌 Based on this catastrophic failure, we affirm the following:
First: We hold the Israeli occupation fully responsible—legally and morally—for the state of food collapse in Gaza. We condemn its use of aid as a weapon of war and a tool of political blackmail, and its ongoing obstruction of relief entry through official crossings and international humanitarian organizations.
Second: We call on the United Nations and the Security Council to take immediate and effective action to halt this crime, urgently open the crossings without restriction, and enable humanitarian organizations to carry out their duties independently of the occupation and its agendas.
Third: We demand the dispatch of independent international investigation committees to document the crime of starvation and prosecute Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Fourth: We appeal to Arab and Islamic nations, and to all free countries of the world, to intervene immediately and activate independent and safe humanitarian channels that break the siege and prevent the occupation from continuing to use food as a vile weapon in its genocidal war.
Fifth: We categorically reject any project that relies on 'buffer zones' or 'humanitarian corridors' under the supervision of the Israeli occupation—the very entity starving, killing, and exterminating civilians. We consider such zones a modern version of racist ghettos that deepen isolation and genocide rather than save lives.
What is happening in Gaza is a major crime unfolding before the eyes of the world, and silence is a clear act of complicity. We will continue to sound the alarm in the name of our great Palestinian people and hold the occupation, along with its backers—led by the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France—fully responsible for the ongoing famine and mass slaughter of civilians in the Gaza Strip."
BREAKING | Members of the US-Israeli aid mechanism flee the area after Israeli forces opened fire at the scene west of Rafah, after thousands of starving Palestinians stormed the distribution centers in an attempt to secure food.
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UK deploys trade envoy to Israel days after 'suspension' of talks
Critics have referred to the visit as ‘mixed messaging’ following strong UK condemnation of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza and the announcement of a suspension of free trade negotiations
❗️The PIJ's Quds Brigades reports that on 24 May, 2025, its fighters detonated a pre-planted barrel explosive targeting an Israeli military vehicle near the supply line north of the New Abasan area, east of Khan Yunis.
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⭕️ Today, 32 year old Mahmoud al-Kharaz was deliberately shot and killed by Israeli snipers during a military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.
Footage shows the moment he was targeted.
❗️Israel and Syria have been in direct contact, including holding in-person meetings in recent weeks
On the Syrian side, the discussions have been led by senior security official Ahmad al-Dalati, who was appointed governor of Quneitra province in the Syrian interim goverment. Earlier this week, Dalati also assumed responsibility for security in the southern province of Sweida, which is home to Syria’s Druze community.
The Israeli participants have not been identified, though two sources indicate that they were security officials. Multiple rounds of face-to-face meetings have taken place in the border area, including in zones under Israeli control.
(Reuters)
Hamas accepts US ceasefire proposal, calls for 'global rage' against Israeli genocide
The UN has warned that 180,000 Palestinians have been displaced due to the latest Israeli operation in Gaza
❗️Israeli media reports that two Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in a security incident in the northern Gaza Strip.
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❗️Israeli forces detain and search three Palestinian children in the village of Lubban al-Sharqia, south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
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⭕️ OPEC+ is making strong efforts to stabilize the oil market but must also consider the growing demand, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohammad al-Mazrouei said today.
"This group, that is OPEC+, I would say is doing its best to balance the market and ensure that we have enough investments in the supply," Mazrouei said during a forum in Abu Dhabi.
"Rest assured, this group is doing its best. But it is not enough only this group, we need the help of others, and we need to be mindful of the demand. Demand is picking up, and the market is going to surprise us if we're not investing in it," he added.
(Reuters)
❗️Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian leaves Tehran for Muscat, Oman, for a two-day trip at the official invitation of Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said, Sultan of Oman.
(IRNA)
❗️Sources in the Israeli negotiation team to Channel 12:
"Yesterday, Hamas sent an unrealistic proposal via Bishara al-Bahbah. We immediately rejected it, and Witkoff immediately rejected it after us. There is another proposal presented to the parties in Doha, and it must be accepted. We will continue fighting and applying political pressure. Something might happen, but things are still far from the path we desire."
Malaysia hosts first ever ASEAN-GCC-China summit under shadow of US tariffs
Beijing and members of the Southeast Asian bloc suggested including Persian Gulf nations in a regional trade pact and called to uphold 'open regionalism and true multilateralism'
⭕️ The US-Israeli "Gaza Humanitarian Fund" announced that approximately 8,000 aid boxes, equivalent to around 462,000 meals, were distributed.
It claimed, as did Israeli media, that delays in distribution were due to checkpoints allegedly set up by Hamas.
In response, Palestinian analyst Azzam Abu al-Adas wrote:
“The level of foolishness and pettiness that the Hebrew media has reached is unbelievable. The Hebrew media claims that ‘checkpoints’ erected by Hamas have prevented people from reaching the distribution centers. Israel has bombed everything—even teachers, doctors, and nurses—yet somehow allows Hamas members to set up checkpoints and search people?”
The entire experience has been widely described as dehumanizing, with harrowing images of Palestinians herded into isolated ghetto-style "buffer zones" to receive limited aid. Meanwhile, thousands of aid trucks are held up at the border.
❗️UNRWA's Director of Communications Juliette Touma says there are over 3,000 trucks of mood and medicine waiting for the green light to enter Gaza.
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Chaos in south Gaza as US-Israeli aid mechanism falls apart hours after launch
US mercenaries fled GHF distribution centers after Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of starving Palestinians who stormed the sites in an attempt to secure food
❗️800th planeload of US bombs lands in Israel since 7 October, 2023
Over 800 military cargo planes and 140 ships have brought more than 90,000 tons of military equipment and armaments from the United States to Israel since 7 October, 2023, according to the Israeli Defense Ministry.
The shipments have included armored vehicles, munitions, bombs, ammunition, personal protection gear, and medical equipment, the ministry said.
❗️The aftermath of the destruction caused by Israeli occupation forces at Al-Khaleej Exchange shop following their raid, during which they confiscated its contents and arrested several of its employees during their invasion of Jenin in the West Bank.
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❗️After severing diplomatic ties with Israel, Colombia appoints first ambassador to Palestine
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Colombia has formally appointed Jorge Iván Ospina as its first ambassador to the State of Palestine.
The new embassy in Ramallah will focus on humanitarian aid, advancing a two-state solution, and securing the release of Colombian-Israeli citizen Elkana Bohbot.
Ospina, former mayor of Santiago de Cali, pledged to denounce the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– “79 martyrs and 163 injuries arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals during the past 24 hours. (The statistics do not include hospitals in the North Gaza Strip Governorate due to the difficulty of accessing them)."
– “The death toll and injuries since 18 March 2025 has reached 3,901 martyrs and 11,088 injuries."
❗️Lebanese President Joseph Aoun received an Emirati delegation at the Baabda Palace today.
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❗️Ten Italian jurists issue formal warning to government over Israeli military and defense cooperation
10 jurists urged the Italian government last week to withdraw from the Memorandum of Understanding on military and defense cooperation with Israel, which is due for automatic renewal on 8 June for another five years. They also warned of potential legal action if the government does not act.
The jurists argue that the memorandum constitutes a "blatant, deliberate, systematic, and intersectional violation of general international law, treaty-based international law, and humanitarian law."
Originally signed in Paris on 16 June, 2003, the agreement was made “between the Government of the Italian Republic and the Government of the State of Israel on cooperation in the military and defense sectors." However, the jurists' warning notes that the memorandum has remained "shrouded in military secrecy" since its signing.
⭕️ A UN spokesman said that the efforts of the US-backed private humanitarian group assigned to deliver aid in Gaza divert attention from more critical actions, such as reopening border crossings.
"We do not participate in this modality for the reasons given. It is a distraction from what is actually needed," said Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), during a briefing in Geneva.
Laerke also urged Israel to lift its restrictions on the types of aid permitted into Gaza, saying the current approach involved "cherry picking" supplies that often failed to meet actual needs.
❗️Comments by the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad, following a meeting between Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri:
– “We exchanged viewpoints in general about the priorities and challenges facing our country, topped by preserving national sovereignty, ending Israeli occupation, and halting hostility and violations unfortunately backed by some countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement.”
Post-war reconstruction and stability:
– “Rebuilding what was destroyed by the (Israeli) aggression, preserving stability, and activating state institutions through electoral junctures, such as the latest municipal and mayoral elections.”
Understanding with President Aoun:
– “The space of understanding between us and the president is broad and can be counted on. We do not find ourselves bound by timing, places, tools, or methods to fill this space, as long as things in Lebanon are moving forward with care and keenness from the president on achieving the priorities that I first mentioned.”
Criticism of PM Nawaf Salam’s remarks on Resistance and Liberation Day:
– “We insist that this holiday is the Resistance and Liberation Day and not only Liberation Day, because the liberation was achieved by the resistance.”
Dialogue on arms monopoly:
– “There are no closed doors in the way of exchanging discussions and ideas with the president on any level. The doors have been open since the presidential election and will remain open to everything that can achieve sovereignty, preserve stability, and the rights of all individuals and essential components of this country.”
Condition for an arms agreement:
– “The state can have no privileges without committing to its duties. When the two become equal—duties and commitments—an agreement would take place.”
Response to PM Salam’s comment on 'the era of spreading the Iranian revolution' and arms:
– “I don’t want to comment on this statement in order to preserve what’s left of cordiality.”
BREAKING | Yemeni Armed Forces announces missile strikes on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport with hypersonic Palestine-2 missile and a strategic target east of Tel Aviv with a Zulfiqar missile, vowing continued attacks until the aggression ends and the siege on Gaza is lifted.
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❗️600 days of genocide: Hamas urges global uprising against war on Gaza
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Marking 600 days since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Hamas has issued a global appeal for intensified action against Israel’s ongoing assault on Palestinians.
In a statement, the group called on people, institutions, and civil society movements worldwide to raise their voices "loudly and urgently" in solidarity with Gaza, urging a surge in protests, marches, and sit-ins across global cities to confront what it described as “aggression, starvation, and extermination” targeting the Palestinian people.
"Let the coming days be filled with global rage," the statement declared.
(Photo: Instagram / @cinema4p)
❗️Hamas: Provocative settler parades won't change Jerusalem's identity or halt inevitable end of occupation
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Hamas Political Bureau member Haroun Nasser al-Din condemned yesterday's provocative incursions and assaults by Israeli settlers and extremist ministers Ben Gvir and Smotrich at Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem, describing them as a dangerous escalation in Israel's religious war aimed at Judaizing the city's holy sites.
He emphasized that these actions will not change Jerusalem's identity nor prevent the inevitable end of Israeli occupation, and called for intensified Palestinian resistance, steadfast presence at Al-Aqsa, and broader Arab and Islamic support to counter these provocations and aggressions.