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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️The moment Israeli occupation forces boarded the Madleen vessel.
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BREAKING | US, Israel agree to end UNIFIL mandate in southern Lebanon, according to Israeli reports.
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The United States and Israel have agreed that the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) should end its operations in southern Lebanon, the Jerusalem Post and Israel Hayom confirmed Sunday.
The US administration has decided not to renew UNIFIL’s mandate, and Israel reportedly "did not try to convince them otherwise." A vote on the mandate is expected at the UN Security Council in the coming months.
UNIFIL, which was established in 1978 and expanded after Israel's war on Lebanon in 2006, currently includes more than 13,000 uniformed personnel tasked with monitoring hostilities along the Blue Line and ensuring humanitarian access.
No officials from the US, Israel, or the UN have publicly commented on the decision.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing for UNIFIL’s removal from Lebanon since as far back as October 2024.
Analysts believe the move is intended to eliminate international observers who could monitor or document Israeli military activity in southern Lebanon.
WATCH | As part of the “David’s Stones” series of operations, the Qassam Brigades publishes footage of its fighters targeting an Israeli military bulldozer (D9) with a Yassin 105 shell near the Yarmouk site in the Al-Manara neighborhood, south of Khan Yunis.
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❗️Israeli media reported that the Israeli Navy conducted a training exercise off the coast of Ashdod on how to seize the Madleen vessel.
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Syrian Kurds: 'No peace' with Damascus without 'decentralization'
Kurdish leader Salih Muslim Turkiye is working to undermine Kurdish rights in negotiations with Damascus to integrate the Syrian Democratic forces into the Syrian army
UPDATE | The number of aid-seeking Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza has risen to 13 since this morning.
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‘You better turn back’: Israeli war minister threatens Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Katz confirmed that the army has been ordered to prevent the aid boat from reaching the strip, and ‘will not allow anyone’ to break the blockade on Gaza
Israel kills more aid-seeking civilians after GHF misleads Palestinians into military zones
Over 100 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured at aid sites since the US-Israeli mechanism was launched
❗️The ongoing Israeli assault on Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied West Bank has resulted in the complete destruction of 600 homes, while the remaining houses were partially damaged and rendered uninhabitable. Israel has forcibly displaced around 22,000 residents from the camp.
(Jenin Camp Media Committee)
⭕️ Extremist militants affiliated with Ahmad al-Sharaa’s HTS-led interim government in Syria desecrated the grave of the late PFLP-GC leader Ahmad Jibril in the Yarmouk refugee camp's Martyrs' Cemetery, defacing it with the words: "Curse your soul."
This phrase now appears on the tomb of a man credited with liberating Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhala, and over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in the historic 1985 Jibril Deal as part of ‘Operation Galilee.’
Jibril, founder of the PFLP-GC, led countless operations against Israel and supported the resistance in Gaza and the West Bank, providing training, weapons, and logistical support to various Palestinian factions as far back as the First and Second Intifadas.
He was hated by extremist groups in Syria for siding with the Syrian state against the likes of ISIS and the Nusra Front – forces that called themselves the “opposition.”
This act is part of a wider campaign targeting Palestinian resistance factions in Syria; a campaign overseen by Ahmad al-Sharaa at the behest of the US, involving arrests, threats, and raids on resistance offices. One of Trump’s conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria was to “expel Palestinian terrorists” from the country.
❗️Israeli media reports another 'security incident' in Khan Yunis, south Gaza.
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❗️Organized theft in Gaza: Safe passage for traders, chaos for civilians
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Gaza journalist Abdallah al-Attar:
"This morning, shipments of chocolate, instant noodles, and other goods arrived in Deir al-Balah aboard what are known as “traders’ trucks” — vehicles no thief dares to touch.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid trucks meant for civilians continue to be looted in the streets.
This stark contrast has left many in Gaza asking: Is there an organized system behind the looting? Why are some trucks untouched, while others are ransacked?
Why are the trucks carrying basic necessities — flour, sugar, oil — stolen, while those delivering non-essential goods that drain Gaza’s limited cash flow remain untouched?"
❗️Deadly contradictions: Conflicting Israeli military orders and GHF schedules leave civilians dead in Gaza
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Gaza journalist Islam Bader details events and casualties of the Israeli attacks on hungry civilians at the US-Israeli GHF's 'aid centers' on the morning of Sunday, 8 June:
1. Netzarim Aid Distribution Site (Central Gaza) – SDS4
Time: GHF announced that distribution would begin at 5:00 AM.
Contradiction: According to the Israeli military, the area is classified as a closed military zone from 6:00 PM to 8:00 AM, and entering it during those hours is strictly prohibited and extremely dangerous.
Incident: Despite warnings, civilians arrived early. The distribution ended by 6:30 AM due to a severe shortage of aid parcels.
Aftermath: Some frustrated civilians began dismantling parts of the site, prompting American contractors to use pepper spray in response.
Escalation: Israeli soldiers opened fire near the site.
Casualties: 1 civilian killed, 15 injured, according to Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat.
2. Tal al-Sultan Aid Distribution Site (Southern Gaza, Rafah) – SDS1
Time: Following the early opening of the Nitzarim site at 5:00 AM, crowds gathered early here too, hoping for a similar schedule.
Incident: While waiting, Israeli tanks, gunboats, and snipers opened fire on the gathering.
Casualties:
4 killed:
Jihad Abdul Rahman Ali Abu Hussein
Khaled Ahmad Ali al-Daghmeh
Amro Mohammad Khalil al-Bahtini
Fayez Raafat Fayez al-Attar
70 injured, taken to Nasser Medical Complex.
Aftermath: GHF later announced that the site would open at 12:00 PM — hours after the deadly assault.
Core Issue:
The deadly contradiction between GHF’s early morning distribution times and Israeli military-enforced access bans is putting civilians in direct danger — resulting in their injury and death while seeking aid.
❗️US throws Netanyahu under the bus over arming ISIS gangs in Gaza: “We were not involved.”
The US State Department has denied any role in Israel’s arming of criminal factions in Gaza, telling Al Jazeera, “We were not involved. We refer you to Israel for more information.” The statement came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly admitted to backing ISIS-linked armed gangs in the enclave to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching civilians under the guise of “countering Hamas.”
The militias led by Yasser Abu Shabab, have been seen looting humanitarian aid and maintaining links to ISIS. Israeli media previously reported that the group operates with tacit military approval and has been deployed to “protect” US- and Israel-backed aid hubs run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), where scores of Palestinian civilians seeking aid have been killed in recent Israeli attacks.
❗️Iran to gradually release seized highly sensitive Israeli intelligence files
Iran will begin releasing parts of a vast trove of sensitive Israeli intelligence documents over the coming years, depending on their content and strategic value.
Al-Mayadeen reported on Saturday that the documents are “unprecedented” and “extremely accurate,” and are expected to influence regional dynamics, including ongoing Iran-US negotiations.
The original report issued by Iranian state television also mentioned the recent arrests of two Israeli citizens, Roy Mizrahi and Almog Atias, on charges of espionage for Iran. However, it emphasized that the arrests occurred after the documents had been transported out of Israel.
BREAKING | Israeli forces surrounded the Madleen vessel, boarded it, and abducted all the volunteers onboard.
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BREAKING | Israeli media reports another 'security incident' in the Shujaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City.
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❗️At the request of the US-led Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, the Lebanese Army inspects an already destroyed building in the southern suburb of Beirut's Mreijeh amid threats of another Israeli attack.
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❗️A UNIFIL patrol was intercepted in south Lebanon's Wadi al-Hujayr while conducting inspection operations without coordination with the Lebanese army.
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❗️Israeli warplanes completely destroyed An-Naqab and Al-Rafei Schools in Jabalia, northern Gaza, a short while ago.
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❗️Israel has killed at least 32 Palestinians in attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources in Gaza)
⭕️ Southern Syria: Israeli violations in Quneitra and Damascus countryside
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Ongoing Israeli military activity in southern Syria has escalated sharply in recent days, with multiple incursions and airstrikes reported near the occupied Golan Heights. On Sunday, Israeli forces penetrated the town of al-Rafid in southern Quneitra with several armored vehicles, remaining in the area for hours before withdrawing, according to reports from both Syrian state media, Al Mayadeen, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
In a separate incident, Israeli tanks reportedly advanced into the outskirts of Jaba village (central Quneitra) on Saturday, opening heavy fire on Syrian territory before retreating. No injuries were reported, but Israeli reconnaissance drones were seen intensively patrolling the skies, heightening fears of further escalation.
Meanwhile, an Israeli drone launched a missile strike in the village of Beit Jinn in western Damascus countryside, hitting a vehicle and injuring three people. Israeli military sources claimed the target was a member of Hamas. The strike occurred just meters from the Israeli-controlled buffer zone, suggesting a dangerously expanding scope of engagement.
According to Al Mayadeen, Israeli forces also bulldozed parts of the Shahar forest near the border strip, in yet another violation of Syrian sovereignty.
(Photo: AFP)
❗️Israeli War Minister Israel Katz:
"I have instructed the IDF to act so that the 'Madleen' flotilla does not reach Gaza.
To the antisemitic Greta and her friends, I say clearly — you better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza."
Iran parliament speaker blasts US nuclear proposal over lack of sanctions relief
US President Donald Trump has shifted his stance, now demanding that Iran completely cease uranium enrichment, after previously insisting only on preventing it from developing nuclear weapons
⭕️ Israel's newest allegation: The Israeli military has now accused Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal of being a Hamas operative, specifically part of the Qassam Brigades' Al-Zaytoun Brigade.
This comes as part of Israel's all-out war on Gaza's rescue and emergency workers, journalists, academics, doctors, UN agencies and more.
⭕️ Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf strongly rejects the latest US proposal in the ongoing indirect nuclear talks, criticizing it for omitting any reference to lifting sanctions.
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Ghalibaf accused Washington of a coercive and contradictory approach, saying the proposal reflects dishonesty and offers only empty promises of economic relief while denying Iran its right to enrich uranium. He emphasized that Iran remains open to building trust through peaceful nuclear activity but only in exchange for real sanctions relief and economic benefits, in line with the Strategic Action Plan passed by parliament.
“It is clear that no rational logic would accept such a unilateral and imposed agreement,” he said, in reference to the US's failure to mention the lifting of sanctions, and its demand for 'zero' enrichment on Iran's part.
He added that the US smiles in front of cameras while making promises of economic relief, yet avoids any concrete steps toward ending sanctions or acknowledging Iran’s nuclear rights.
He also criticized US President Donald Trump, calling him "delusional" and urging him to abandon alignment with Israel and Netanyahu’s failed policies. Ghalibaf asserted that Iran should rely on internal economic strength to pressure the US into accepting a mutual deal.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, confirmed that Iran received the US proposal via Oman and will respond based on national interests and principles.
⭕️ Israeli occupation forces have taken control of the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis, converting it into a military command center, a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
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Footage released by the Israeli military shows troops inside the hospital operating equipment and holding briefings, alongside claims of discovering Hamas tunnels beneath the facility. However, analysts have pointed out inconsistencies in the video, especially a strange jump cut where a drone enters a pipe and the footage abruptly shifts to a different tunnel scene, casting doubt on whether the tunnel is actually under the hospital.
The move comes amid growing fears that Israel is preparing to escalate attacks on Gaza’s last remaining medical centers, including Al-Amal Hospital, now declared a “dangerous combat zone” and rendered inaccessible by Israeli forces.
All eyes are now on Nasser Hospital, Gaza’s largest functioning medical complex in the south, which is nearly surrounded by areas designated for forced evacuation.
The World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders warn that any shutdown would be catastrophic, wiping out critical care services for over a million people. Medical groups and the Palestinian Health Ministry say the campaign mirrors earlier Israeli attacks on hospitals in northern Gaza, a continuation of Israel's systematic effort to destroy healthcare access across the strip.
❗️Palestinian youth wounded by Israeli gunfire near Tulkarem
A Palestinian youth was wounded on 7 June after Israeli occupation forces opened fire during a night raid on the village of Ezbet Shufa, southeast of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, according to WAFA.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that the young man was shot in the thigh and later transferred to hospital for treatment.
❗️Israel has killed at least 91 Palestinians in attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources in Gaza)
❗️US-Israeli backed Gaza aid group blames Hamas after failing to deliver, offers no evidence
The US-Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) claimed on Saturday it was forced to halt aid delivery due to “direct threats” from Hamas, saying it could not proceed. “These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,” it said in a statement. No evidence was provided for the claim.
The statement comes just days after reports revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had authorized the arming and funding of Abu Shabab, an ISIS-linked figure in Gaza tasked with leading ISIS-linked gangs to loot humanitarian aid. The revelations have intensified scrutiny of GHF, which UN agencies and humanitarian groups have long accused of being a political project designed to bypass established relief efforts and facilitate forced displacement.