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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Iran draws red line as Europe threatens nuclear ‘snapback’
As indirect US–Iran nuclear talks inch forward, Europe's fear of marginalization prompts a risky diplomatic maneuver in Istanbul.
By Vali Kaleji
❗️Israeli settlers dance with and carry Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem.
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❗️The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that most medical equipment in Gaza has run out, and 42% of essential medicines, including painkillers, are currently unavailable.
"We are at stock zero of close to 64% of medical equipment and stock zero of 43% of essential medicines and 42% of vaccines," said Hanan Balkhy, WHO’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, during a press briefing in Geneva.
Balkhy noted that 51 WHO aid trucks are still awaiting clearance at the Gaza border.
"Can you imagine a surgeon (fixing) a broken bone with no anesthesia? IV fluids, needles, bandages - they do not exist in the quantities that are required," she said, highlighting that critical drugs such as antibiotics, painkillers, and medications for chronic illnesses are severely lacking.
German chancellor says Gaza genocide 'no longer justified'
Support for Israel is falling among its traditional European backers amid its current war and ethnic cleansing of Gaza
❗️According to Axios: US envoy Steve Witkoff rejects claims that Hamas has accepted his ceasefire proposal
“What I have seen from Hamas is disappointing and completely unacceptable,” Witkoff said.
He stated that Israel is willing to agree to a temporary truce under which half of the living and deceased hostages would be returned, “and lead to substantive negotiations to find a path to a permanent ceasefire, which I agreed to preside over.”
“That deal is on the table. Hamas should take it,” Witkoff added.
❗️French Foreign Ministry:
– "Ben Gvir's entry into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is a new, unacceptable provocation."
– "Ben Gvir's storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque is a violation of the historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem."
⭕️ Less than 5% of Gaza’s farmland remains usable due to extensive damage and restricted access, “exacerbating the risk of famine in the area,” according to a UN assessment.
The report found that only 688 hectares, 4.6% of Gaza’s total cropland, can currently be cultivated. More than 80% of agricultural land has been damaged by Israel during its brutal war, and 77.8% is inaccessible due to restrictions and 'evacuation orders.'
Nearly three-quarters of Gaza’s greenhouses and over 80% of its wells have also been damaged, based on high-resolution satellite imagery used in the assessment.
Conditions are described as "particularly critical" in Rafah in the south and in northern Gaza, where nearly all farmland is out of reach.
“This level of destruction is not just a loss of infrastructure – it is a collapse of Gaza's agrifood system and of lifelines,” said Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, which conducted the assessment with the UN Satellite Centre.
⭕️ Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, said that “the region has grown tired of Iranian-US polarization,” expressing hope that Arab states would re-engage with Lebanon.
“We will not remain silent over any arms outside the state’s control," he added.
Salam also spoke about his vision, saying, “The majority of the Lebanese people stand by us and my strength comes from regaining the people’s confidence in the state and my project is rebuilding the state.”
Commenting on south Lebanon, he said, “I’m sad because a part of Lebanon is occupied and we are advocates of peace, but we want a just and sustainable peace.”
On the issue of Palestinian weapons in refugee camps, Salam said: “What’s dangerous about the camps’ arms is that they may lead to an inter-Palestinian strife, and Palestine’s strength today does not come from arms, but rather from international recognition and diplomacy.”
❗️US President Donald Trump accused Harvard University of being "antisemitic" and blamed it for allowing "radicalized lunatics" and "troublemakers" into the country.
He also stated that he is considering revoking $3 billion in grant funding from the university, claiming that Harvard is deliberately delaying the release of its list of foreign students.
❗️A video posted by an Israeli soldier documents the destruction of the Al-Shaer mill in the Morag area, south of Khan Yunis.
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Iran, China launch new commercial railway bypassing US sanctions
Iran is part of China's 'One Belt One Road' initiative, which seeks to re-establish overland trade routes once known as the 'Silk Road'
BREAKING | Israel bombs the outskirts of Brital, in Baalbek, eastern Lebanon.
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❗️Israeli army orders mass displacement in southern Gaza
The Israeli military has ordered residents of Khan Yunis, Bani Suhaila, Abasan, and Al-Qarara to evacuate immediately, marking a new wave of forced displacement in southern Gaza.
In a statement on X, spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the military had launched “an unprecedented attack” to destroy the capabilities of Hamas and told residents to leave for the Al-Mawasi area along the coast.
The so-called safe zone of Al-Mawasi has repeatedly come under Israeli fire with humanitarian organizations stressing that there is nowhere safe in Gaza.
Israel rejects ceasefire proposal as troops expand occupation of Gaza
The Israeli army’s plans will see Gaza’s whole population displaced and confined to a mere 25 percent of the strip
⭕️ The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), in coordination with the international coalition, launched a targeted airdrop operation early Monday in Wadi al-Rabeeh, within the town of al-Koum in eastern Homs countryside, as part of ongoing efforts to suppress ISIS activity in the Syrian Badia. The operation, which involved raids and intense clashes, destroyed the home of the Bani Shuwaikh family—allegedly used by ISIS elements—to prevent its reuse as a logistical base. Joint operations to dismantle ISIS sleeper cells and prevent the group's resurgence continue across the region.
(Source: Roz Press)
Pakistan PM makes peace offer to India during Iran visit
Shehbaz Sharif thanked the Iranian president for Tehran's support in its conflict with India earlier this month, the deadliest between them in decades
❗️The banners being raised by Israeli settlers at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem read:
"1967 – Jerusalem is in our grip
2025 – Gaza is in our grip
Without a Nakba, there is no victory."
❗️Iran says it will survive if nuclear talks with US collapse
“It’s not like we will die of hunger if they [US] do not want to negotiate with us and sanction us,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said during a ceremony today.
He added, “There are hundreds of ways to overcome the problems,” urging unity among the people.
“The Islamic Republic, today, is more powerful than ever,” Pezeshkian concluded.
(IRNA)
❗️Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, citing an official source:
"Hamas has agreed to a different formula for an agreement than the one accepted by Israel to conclude a deal."
❗️Israel's Channel 14, citing an Israeli source:
Israel rejected Hamas's offer to release 10 captives and a 70-day truce with Washington's guarantee to end the war.
❗️Quds Brigades reports that its fighters shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles with a barrage of heavy mortar fire in the vicinity of al-Ma’arri School, northeast of Khan Yunis.
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❗️Today, the Qassam Brigades announced two operations carried out on 24 May 2025:
— The targeting of two Israeli tanks with "Yassin 105" shells, resulting in one of the vehicles catching fire in the Aslan area of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.
— The targeting of an Israeli force that had taken shelter inside a house with an anti-personnel shell in the Fifth Quarter area of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza.
Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque, UNRWA headquarters during Jerusalem ‘Flag March’
The supremacist march this year coincides with a significant escalation of settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank
BREAKING | Hamas accepts Witkoff Gaza ceasefire proposal
A Palestinian official close to Hamas told Reuters that the group has agreed to the US envoy Steve Witkoff proposal, which includes a 70-day truce and the release of 10 Israeli captives in two phases.
The official added that negotiations would continue during the truce, with the goal of reaching a permanent ceasefire backed by US guarantees.
⭕️ The Palestinian delegation won the right to raise its flag at the World Health Organization (WHO) following a vote today, a move their representative hopes will pave the way for broader recognition at the United Nations and internationally.
The resolution was adopted with 95 votes in favor, four against, cast by Israel, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Germany, and 27 abstentions.
(Reuters)
❗️German Chancellor: Israeli attacks can no longer be justified as fight against Hamas
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has publicly stated that Israel’s recent escalation in Gaza has crossed a line, saying the humanitarian toll on civilians “can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism.”
Speaking to broadcaster WDR, Merz said, “Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, is indefensible.” He added that he would speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week to urge restraint, though he acknowledged that Germany’s criticism remains cautious “for historical reasons” compared to other European nations.
❗️UN: Only 4.6% of Gaza’s farmland remains usable amid forced starvation threat
A joint assessment by UNOSAT and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that just 4.6% of Gaza’s cropland is currently cultivable, as widespread destruction and access restrictions decimate the enclave’s food production.
The report found that over 80% of farmland, more than 12,500 hectares, has been damaged, and nearly 78% is inaccessible to farmers. Greenhouses and water sources have also been devastated, with 71% of greenhouses and 83% of agricultural wells damaged or destroyed.
FAO’s deputy director-general, Beth Bechdol, called the destruction “a collapse of Gaza’s agrifood system and lifelines,” warning that rebuilding will demand massive investment and long-term international support. The findings come as famine looms over Gaza’s 2.1 million residents, following 19 months of war, siege, and mass displacement.
❗️A new ceasefire proposal, building on US envoy Steve Witkoff’s plan, was recently presented to Hamas. According to a Palestinian source speaking to AFP, it includes the release of 10 Israeli captives in exchange for a 70-day truce, a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including many serving life sentences.
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❗️A number of Israeli settlers assaulted a young man at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, where they have begun gathering in preparation for the launch of the Israeli 'Flag March' under heavy police protection.
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❗️Israeli forces have surrounded the Indonesian and al-Awda hospitals in northern Gaza, according to satellite images reviewed by Al Jazeera. Military vehicles are stationed just 60 to 100 metres from the Indonesian Hospital, where medical staff, patients, and civilians remain trapped inside. Nearby, al-Awda Hospital in Tel al-Zaatar is also encircled and under continuous attack.
A fire broke out in al-Awda’s only medicine warehouse and burned for days before civil defense teams were permitted to intervene. The area has been under heavy Israeli bombardment and ground incursions for over two weeks, raising further concerns about Israel’s systematic targeting of Gaza’s remaining healthcare infrastructure.