47079
The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Lebanese army rejects claims soldier killed by Israel was 'Hezbollah member'
Military officials said the claims aim to undermine the army amid ongoing Israeli violations and pressure to disarm Hezbollah
Trump’s Gaza plan: A foreign force to finish the job
Arab and Muslim states are being courted to bankroll – and legitimize – a foreign force tasked with dismantling Palestinian resistance under the guise of peacekeeping.
By F.M. Shakil
BREAKING | The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announces that Belgium has filed a declaration of intervention in the case of the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
The declaration of intervention would allow Belgium to give its interpretation of the Genocide Convention (the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide).
❗️UK government facing legal threat over jailed Palestine Action hunger strikers
Lawyers representing imprisoned activists linked to Palestine Action have warned the British government they will seek a High Court case after the justice secretary refused to meet them. Imran Khan & Partners sent a pre-claim letter on Monday, putting officials on notice as eight detainees continue a coordinated hunger strike that began on 2 November.
The activists, aged between 20 and 31, are held in five prisons and are accused of offenses linked to protests at sites connected to the Israeli arms firm Elbit Systems and a Royal Air Force base. Their lawyers say the strike, now lasting more than seven weeks, poses an escalating risk to life, with families reporting deteriorating health and repeated hospital admissions.
Calling it the largest coordinated prison hunger strike in Britain since 1981, the lawyers urged urgent intervention, warning of parallels with the protest that led to the deaths of Bobby Sands and nine others. The government has declined to meet, saying hunger strikes are not uncommon and that medical care policies are being followed, a stance the lawyers argue fails to address the severity of the situation.
BREAKING | The Palestinian Red Crescent reports that a child was injured by Israeli gunfire in the Qalandia refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem.
Читать полностью…
VIDEO | Mike Pompeo, who served as director of the CIA from 2017 to 2018 during Donald Trump's first term in office, alleges that Iran is attempting to rebuild its so-called "nuclear program. "
"We cannot allow this to happen," he said.
Israeli arms dealers credit boost in profits to Gaza genocide: Report
Executives from Israeli defense companies say the mass killing of Palestinians served to 'battle test' their technologies
❗️Syria detains US journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem in northern Aleppo
Bilal Abdul Kareem, born Darrell Lamont Phelps, a US stand-up comedian turned war journalist who has lived in Syria since 2012 and who has been known for supporting extremist groups in Syria for several years, has been detained by Syrian security forces, two sources familiar with the case said today.
Syria’s Information Ministry, an Interior Ministry spokesperson, and a spokesperson for the US special envoy to Syria did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Reuters)
SDF, Syrian forces renew clashes in Aleppo as Turkish FM visits Damascus
The Syrian army and the US-backed Kurdish militia have repeatedly clashed over the past year, with both sides accusing each other of obstructing an integration deal reached in March
⭕️ Turkiye & Azerbaijan highlight expanding economic ties at Baku investment forum
Senior officials from Turkiye and Azerbaijan underscored deepening economic cooperation at the 2nd Azerbaijan–Turkiye Investment Forum in Baku today.
Addressing the forum, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov said strengthening economic and trade relations with Turkiye remains a priority, noting that Azerbaijan has invested more than $20 billion in Turkiye, while Turkish investments in Azerbaijan stand at around $18 billion.
“We are committed to maintaining steady mutual investments,” he said.
(Anadolu Agency)
❗️Senior Syrian delegation arrives in Moscow for talks with Russian officials
A senior Syrian delegation arrived in Moscow today for talks with Russian officials, local media reported.
SANA, citing a Foreign Ministry statement, said the delegation includes Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra, and officials from the General Intelligence Directorate.
No details were given about the agenda or substance of the discussions with Russian officials.
❗️Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad to Russian news agency RIA Novosti:
"Hamas has adhered to the Gaza agreement, while Israel committed 900 violations, raising doubts about its seriousness in moving to the second phase.
Hamas is ready to enter the second phase of the Gaza agreement, but the details of that phase must be clear and agreed upon by all parties.
The presence of international forces in the Gaza Strip is a positive development, but there are important rules for their work, the most important of which is maintaining the ceasefire."
❗️Palestinian students in the Kafr Aqab area, north of occupied Jerusalem, are trapped in their schools as the Israeli forces continue to storm the neighborhood. Israeli forces are simultaneously storming the city of Jericho, in the occupied West Bank.
Читать полностью…
BREAKING | Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has been arrested in London during a “Prisoners for Palestine” protest outside Aspen Insurance offices in London, according to UK-based campaign group Defend Our Juries. The group said she was arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Читать полностью…
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
– "In the past 24 hours, 5 martyrs (including one 1 new martyr) and 3 injuries have arrived at Gaza Strip hospitals."
– "Since the ceasefire (11 October 2025):
• Total martyrs: 406
• Total injuries: 1,118
• Total recovered: 653"
Yemen, Saudi Arabia agree to 'major' prisoner swap after Oman talks
The deal comes as UAE-backed forces gain ground southern Yemen with the aim of establishing an independent state
❗️Hamas leader Osama Hamdan:
– “In the second phase of the Gaza agreement, guarantees must be clearer and commitments more detailed.”
– “The enemy does not abide by the agreement, and even flagrantly violates the international agreements it signs.”
– “The enemy does not want to move to the second phase, because it entails a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the continued presence of the resistance on the ground.”
– “Our definition of the second phase of the agreement is that we reject guardianship, reject disarmament, and reject any interference in our internal Palestinian affairs.”
– “We do not need foreign forces to come and disarm us of weapons that the occupation has failed to take from us over the course of two years.”
❗️Trump invites Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan leaders to 2026 G20 summit in Miami
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he spoke with the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and invited them to next year’s G20 summit in Miami, Florida.
“We discussed the importance of bringing Peace to ongoing conflicts, and increased Trade and Cooperation between our Nations,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to his calls with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Syrian Druze fighters 'covertly' armed by Israel since Assad's fall: Report
A camp within the Israeli security establishment pushed the idea of transforming Syria's Druze into an official Israeli proxy loyal to Tel Aviv
❗️Gaza Government Media Office:
"Relevant government bodies have documented 875 violations of the ceasefire agreement, including 265 incidents of direct gunfire against civilians, 49 cases of military vehicles advancing into residential areas, 421 attacks involving shelling and the targeting of unarmed civilians and their homes, and 150 incidents involving the demolition and destruction of homes, institutions, and civilian buildings."
UPDATE | Katz 'backtracks' on Gaza settlement remarks
In a new statement distributed to reporters, Israeli 'Defense' Minister Israel Katz's office said that “the government has no intention of establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip.”
The statement said his earlier comments to settler leaders about dispatching pioneer groups to northern Gaza “were made solely in a security context.”
VIDEO | Israeli forces have taken control of all neighborhoods of the Qalandia refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem, as Israeli raids targeting Palestinian residents continue into their fifth hour.
Читать полностью…
VIDEO | Israeli forces fire a tear gas canister toward a residential building in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Israeli attacks in the area coincide with a recently revealed Israeli plan to construct nearly 9,000 settlement units in the heart of densely populated Palestinian urban areas encompassing Kafr Aqab, Qalandia, Al-Ram, Beit Hanina, and Bir Nabala.
❗️The Lebanese Army has reported that First Sergeant Ali Abdallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a vehicle in south Lebanon on 22 December. The strike also killed two others, including a journalist from Al-Ahed News.
The attack struck nearly 30 km inside Lebanese territory, far from the Blue Line, and marks one of over 10,000 Israeli violations of the November 2024 ceasefire.
❗️Yemen parties agree to major prisoner swap after Oman talks
Yemeni and Saudi representatives have reached an agreement in Muscat, Oman, to carry out a large-scale prisoner exchange, according to Abdul Salam on social media platform X. The deal covers the release of thousands of Yemeni detainees, including Saudi and Sudanese prisoners. Abdul Salam thanked Oman for its mediation and cooperation but did not provide details on the timing or implementation of the agreement.
The UN confirmed that the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and Ansarallah agreed to release nearly 3,000 detainees following almost two weeks of talks.
Government negotiator Majed Fadhail confirmed that “thousands” of war prisoners would be freed, noting that two of the Saudi nationals are air force pilots. The conflict, which began in 2015 with a Saudi-led coalition backed by the US, has largely been frozen since 2022 despite years of fighting.
BREAKING | Israeli forces demolish residential buildings east of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City.
Читать полностью…
❗️Israel conducted covert operations in Syria to provide Syrian Druze with weapons, medical aid, and ammunition
Israel has conducted covert operations in southern Syria, delivering rifles, ammunition, body armor, medical aid, and cash to local Druze militias, according to the Washington Post. The operations began on 17 December, 2024, shortly after the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and were carried out via helicopter airdrops.
The aid included monthly payments of $100 to $200 to roughly 3,000 Druze militiamen. Support was concentrated on Druze forces, including the Military Council, with the apparent goal of limiting Damascus’ ability to consolidate control over the region.
Former Israeli Druze Brigadier General Hassoun Hassoun has advocated for transforming Syrian Druze militias into an Israeli-backed proxy force, highlighting the strategic intent behind the assistance.
VIDEO | Israeli forces target news crews with tear gas and stun grenades during the coverage of the Israeli raids on Kafr Aqab and the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.
Читать полностью…
Israeli war chief vows troops 'will never leave Gaza'
The defense minister pledged that Israel will resettle Gaza ‘at the right time,’ openly contradicting Netanyahu’s official position and Trump’s ‘peace plan’ for the strip
❗️French MPs call for inquiry into arms sales to Israel amid Gaza genocide
French Communist Party MP Elsa Faucillon, supported by deputies across the left, has submitted a resolution calling for a parliamentary inquiry into France’s arms transfers to Israel. The move comes amid mounting concerns that French weapons may be linked to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Speaking at the National Assembly, Faucillon urged full transparency and an immediate suspension of arms shipments. “Today, I am tabling a resolution to establish a commission of inquiry in order to shed full light on France's arms sales to Israel, and above all, to suspend them immediately, because in Gaza today, a genocide is still underway,” she said.