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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Over two weeks later, the Israeli army officially announces that it has assassinated Mohammad Sinwar, brother of the late Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammad Shabana, Commander of the Qassam Brigades' Rafah Brigade, in Khan Yunis, south Gaza.
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UN nuclear watchdog accuses Iran of NPT 'non-compliance' amid western pressure
Western diplomats seek to use new reports issued by the IAEA to declare Iran in violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
❗️Spokesman for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza to Al Jazeera:
– "The [Israeli] occupation is targeting the electric generators that power hospitals."
– "The [Israeli] occupation has destroyed the three largest electric generators supplying hospitals in the Gaza Strip."
– "The [Israeli] occupation is preventing the entry of spare parts needed to repair hospital generators."
– "Targeting hospital generators is essentially a death sentence for patients."
– "Hospital departments cannot continue operating without electricity."
– "We are rationing energy use in order to maintain health services in some departments."
WATCH | Quds Brigades shares footage of its fighters planting and detonating a barrel explosive device targeting an Israeli military vehicle during its incursion east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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❗️Gaza journalist Anas al-Sharif:
"An unprecedented escalation in Israeli bombardment over the past three days has targeted what remains of residential buildings in Gaza City, causing widespread destruction and massacres of civilians."
❗️Qassam Brigades announces that its fighters ambushed an Israeli patrol in a trap and engaged them at point-blank range with light weapons, resulting in dead and wounded among the Israeli forces in Al-Atatra area of Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on 27 May 2025.
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❗️Kuwait News Agency reports that Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa will arrive to Kuwait on Sunday, for an official visit during which he will hold talks with Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
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❗️The Israeli army announced that it assassinated Mohammad Ali Jamoul, describing him as "the Shaqif region commander of Hezbollah's rocket array in the Deir al-Zahrani area of southern Lebanon."
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❗️For the 131st consecutive day, Israeli forces continue their assault on Jenin and its refugee camp, marked by raids, arrests, and attacks on civilians. At dawn Saturday, former prisoner Samer Jaradat was arrested in Silat al-Harithiya, along with Khaled Hatem Alyat in Deir Abu Daif. Infantry units, backed by drones, stormed several homes while resistance fighters responded with an explosive device at the town’s entrance. In Kufeirat, civilians were detained and beaten, while military vehicles rammed a bus carrying pilgrims—families of prisoners and martyrs. In Sanur, a man and his two daughters were injured by Israeli fire.
Simultaneously, Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces arrested two wanted fighters: Ahmad al-Muadh and Hamoudeh al-Ammar, inside Jenin. Since January 21, the aggression has resulted in the full demolition of 600 homes, heavy damage to the rest, and the forced displacement of 22,000 residents. A total of 43 Palestinians have been killed, including two shot dead by PA forces, with dozens more injured or detained.
❗️Palestinian woman buries husband alone after two months under siege in Gaza
Aziza Qishta, 65, buried her husband with her bare hands in a garden in southern Gaza after two months trapped under Israeli siege. With no shroud, she wrapped his body in a curtain and laid him to rest alone.
Her husband, Ibrahim Qishta, 70, was killed by shrapnel during Israel’s assault on Rafah. The couple had refused to flee their home in Khirbet al-Adas, enduring relentless bombardment and dwindling supplies. Since Israel broke the ceasefire in March, nearly 4,000 Palestinians have been killed.
❗️Press statement by the Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "Technical teams in hospitals are operating under limited and depleted options to maintain electricity supply to vital departments."
– "The occupation has destroyed a large number of electric generators, the latest of which was the bombing and burning of three high-capacity generators."
– "The remaining generators in hospitals have been in operation for over a year and a half, and maintaining them is difficult due to the lack of spare parts; several are at risk of going out of service."
– "Operating rooms, intensive care units, emergency departments, and neonatal incubators cannot continue functioning without electricity."
– "We appeal to all institutions and concerned bodies to urgently provide electric generators with the necessary capacities, as well as the spare parts required for maintenance."
‼️ Al-Arabiya reports that Hamas will accept latest Witkoff proposal under 2 conditions:
– Releasing the captives in small groups over 60 days, instead of 2.
– A 'real guarantee' from the US that Israel will comply with the agreement.
❗️Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reports that Hamas submitted its response to the mediators this morning regarding the proposal it had received:
– Hamas held intensive communications and meetings with leaders of various Palestinian factions in Qatar and other capitals, including Beirut, in an effort to form a unified Palestinian position.
– According to Hamas leadership and the factions, the response can be described as positive, despite including some remarks that must be addressed to ensure the proposal’s successful implementation, particularly given its many shortcomings and clear bias in favor of the Israel.
– All comments on the proposal were made with factional consensus, and there is a likelihood they will be accepted if there is a genuine US will to pressure Israel.
– One of the key points in the response aims to prevent the handover of Israeli captives over just two days in the first week, as stipulated in Witkoff’s proposal. Instead, Hamas is insisting on a phased release, similar to the previous deal, to ensure the full implementation of the agreement over the designated 60-day period.
‼️ "Peace will lead to normalization, or normalization is part and parcel of the peace."
In an interview with CNN, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that normalizing relations with Israel is inevitable if a peace agreement is reached.
❗️An Israeli airstrike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians in the Shanti area, north of Gaza, has killed five Palestinians: a man, his wife, and their three children.
Local sources identified the father as Arafat Deeb. The entire family was killed in the assault.
UPDATE | US envoy Steve Witkoff rejects Hamas's amendments to his latest proposal.
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❗️❗️BREAKING | Hamas submits response to US envoy Witkoff’s proposal, seeking permanent ceasefire, full Gaza withdrawal, and continued aid. Deal includes release of 10 captives, 18 bodies, and a number of Palestinian prisoners yet to be agreed on.
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❗️Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the Jewish Journal: 'The reality is, we have common enemies — and we can play a major role in regional security'
Speaking from Damascus, Sharaa said he wants "to be clear,” adding that “The era of endless tit-for-tat bombings must end. No nation prospers when its skies are filled with fear. The reality is, we have common enemies — and we can play a major role in regional security.”
He voiced support for reviving the principles of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement (Dofa Accord), viewing it not just as a ceasefire demarcation but as a possible framework for mutual restraint and civilian protection.
“Syria’s Druze are not pawns,” he said. “They are citizens — deeply rooted, historically loyal, and deserving of every protection under the law. Their safety is non-negotiable.”
“Peace must be earned through mutual respect, not fear. We will engage where there is honesty and a clear path to coexistence — and walk away from anything less," Sharaa added.
❗️Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani:
– "Together with the State of Qatar, we will provide joint financial support for public sector workers in Syria."
– "Lifting sanctions is just the beginning, and we have taken serious steps to provide services to citizens."
– "Syria’s reconstruction will not be imposed from the outside, but will be led by the Syrian people."
– "Our role in lifting sanctions on Syria affirms that a brother stands by his brother."
Arab diplomats condemn Israel for barring West Bank visit
Foreign ministers from five Arab states sought to travel to Ramallah for talks on the establishment of a Palestinian state
❗️Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stated that the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report is proof that Iran’s nuclear activities are not peaceful and that Tehran is still intent on advancing its nuclear weapons program.
“The international community must act now to stop Iran,” the office said, emphasizing that the uranium enrichment levels Iran has achieved “exists only in countries actively pursuing nuclear weapons and has no civilian justification whatsoever.”
⭕️ According to a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) obtained by The Associated Press, Iran had accumulated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% as of 17 May.
This marks a nearly 50% increase, 133.8 kilograms, since the agency's previous assessment in February, when the stockpile was measured at 274.8 kilograms.
❗️98-year-old man and his 88-year-old wife skip daily meal in protest of Gaza’s forced starvation
June Forsyth Kenagy, an 88-year-old American journalist, nonprofit leader, and longtime activist, has begun a partial hunger strike alongside her elderly husband in solidarity with the starving children of Gaza. The couple’s act of protest aims to draw attention to the deliberate starvation of Palestinians under Israel’s ongoing siege.
❗️“Well, they’re very close to an agreement on Gaza.”
US President Donald Trump says a deal in Gaza is “very close,” and that a deal with Iran is also possible.
⭕️ Reuters: UN nuclear watchdog confidential report says Iran conducted undisclosed nuclear work involving undeclared nuclear material at three sites
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded that “these three locations, and other possible related locations, were part of an undeclared structured nuclear program carried out by Iran until the early 2000s and that some activities used undeclared nuclear material,” as stated in the “comprehensive” report commissioned by the IAEA’s Board of Governors last November.
❗️Quds Brigades announces that it shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles with a barrage of 60mm mortars southeast of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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❗️Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander Mazloum Abdi says that the SDF has been in direct contact with Turkiye, and that he is open to meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"We have direct ties, direct channels of communication with Turkiye, as well as through mediators, and we hope that these ties are developed," Abdi said.
"I am not opposed ... We are not in a state of war with Turkiye and in the future, ties could be developed between us. We're open to this," he added.
(Shams TV)
WATCH | Quds Brigades releases footage of its fighters booby-trapping and blowing up a house where Israeli troops were holed up east of the Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza City.
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❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "60 martyrs, including 1 martyr who was recovered, and 284 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 4,117 martyrs and 12,013 injuries."
❗️Saudi Arabia denies 2025 Hajj visas to Palestinian refugees with Syrian travel documents
Saudi Arabia will not grant Hajj visas in 2025 to Palestinian refugees carrying Syrian travel documents, according to the Action Group for Palestinians of Syria.
The decision effectively bars thousands of displaced Palestinians from performing the pilgrimage, deepening concerns over their growing statelessness and restricted mobility.