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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️PIJ's Quds Brigades announces that its fighters were able to destroy an Israeli military vehicle by detonating a previously planted highly explosive barrel bomb in the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, on 3 June 2025.
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❗️ BREAKING: Israel is threatening EU Parliament member Rima Hassan and other activists aboard the Madleen Freedom Flotilla.
According to testimony from Al Jazeera journalist Omar Faiad, who was recently released, Israeli forces are pressuring activists who refuse to sign the “papers.”
“For example, MP Rima Hassan is still there,” he said. “She refuses to sign the papers and was directly threatened by an officer who said: ‘I’ll smash your head against the wall if you don’t sign. We’ll handle this our own way.’”
❗️ Doctors are performing surgeries by phone light in Gaza hospitals due to power outages due to Israel's ban on fuel imports.
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⭕️ Prisoners’ Media Office:
Israeli occupation forces arrested around 150 Palestinians from the West Bank over the past week, including women, children, and previously released prisoners.
- The arrests were concentrated in Hebron, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Nablus, and were accompanied by large-scale raids and field interrogations.
- The campaigns also involved field executions and the demolition of private homes, particularly in Jenin and Tulkarm.
- Occupation forces intensified physical assaults, field investigations, and the use of civilians as hostages.
⭕️ Italy ends contract with Israeli spyware firm Paragon over surveillance allegations
Italy has terminated its contracts with Israeli spyware firm Paragon after revelations that its technology was used to spy on critics of the government, including journalists and migrant rescue activists.
A parliamentary security report confirmed that Italian intelligence agencies had activated contracts with Paragon in 2023–2024 and used the spyware on a limited number of targets with prosecutorial approval.
Among those surveilled were activists from the Mediterranea NGO, targeted not for human rights work but over alleged links to irregular immigration.
Paragon claims it cut ties with Italy after allegations of spying on journalist Francesco Cancellato became public, and said the Italian government refused to investigate the incident jointly.
Opposition parties and the journalists’ union FNSI have called for a full inquiry. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office has not commented.
⭕️ The Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Authority: Approximately 440 Palestinian children have been arrested by the Israeli occupation since October 7, as part of a systematic campaign of collective punishment against children.
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⭕️ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the move by the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway to impose sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
While echoing an earlier statement from US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, Rubio went further by urging the nations to reconsider their decision.
“These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home and end the war,” Rubio said.
❗️Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said an agreement ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program is within reach and could be finalized quickly.
He noted that this aligns with both Iran’s doctrine and US President Trump’s stance against Iranian nuclear weapons.
Araghchi added that such a deal would require continued IAEA oversight of Iran’s enrichment program and the lifting of sanctions.
❗️German opposition figure urges sanctions on Israeli ministers over incitement
Franziska Brantner, co-leader of Germany’s Green Party, has called on Berlin to impose sanctions on Israeli far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, following similar moves by several western states.
Speaking to dpa news agency, Brantner accused the two of “openly calling for violence against the Palestinian population” and pushing policies of “annexation and displacement,” which she said were costing lives and obstructing peace efforts.
❗️Jordanian doctor wounded in Israeli strike near field hospital in Khan Yunis
A Jordanian physician was injured in an Israeli attack near the Jordanian field hospital west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, according to a medical source.
❗️Hamas mourns PIJ’s senior member killed by Israel in West Bank raid
Hamas has issued a statement mourning the death of Ra’iq Abdul Rahman Bisharat, a senior member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), who was killed during an Israeli raid on the town of Tamoun (Tubas) in the occupied West Bank.
“As we mourn the martyred freed prisoner Ra’iq Abdul Rahman Bisharat […], we affirm that our people and their resistance will not rest until the occupation is expelled from our land and holy sites,” the group declared. It also emphasized that Israel’s war on Gaza and ongoing raids in the West Bank “compels us all to unite.”
Israeli occupation forces have once again demolished alternative homes built by residents in Khirbet Khallet al-Dabaa, located in the Masafer Yatta region south of Hebron. The families, already displaced after their original homes were destroyed, have been forced out once more.
Despite repeated demolitions and ongoing settler harassment, residents have been determined to remain on their land.
⭕️ Israeli media: Trump called Netanyahu and told him he must 'permanently end the war' in Gaza
During a "tense" 40-minute phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, US President Donald Trump insisted that Israel must bring the war in Gaza to a permanent end.
Trump is said to have dismissed the Witkoff proposal, telling Netanyahu that the a 60 day pause would "not suffice."
⭕️ Israeli journalist Ravit Hecht wrote in Haaretz that Netanyahu is using the threat of an attack on Iran to pressure ultra-Orthodox parties not to rush into dissolving the Knesset. She noted that he has used similar tactics before—hinting at military action to stop his government from collapsing.
At the same time, Maariv reported that Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Hayom party plans to move forward with a proposal to dissolve the Knesset, even without waiting for the Haredi parties, putting them in an uncomfortable position.
Opposition groups have started meeting to agree on submitting the proposal, which would bring down Netanyahu’s coalition. The internal tensions follow the failure to pass a law exempting ultra-Orthodox citizens from military service.
❗️Israeli occupation forces continue to displace Palestinian residents of Khallet al-Dabaa in Masafer Yatta
Israeli troops forcibly removed Palestinian residents from the village of Khallet al-Dabaa in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, ahead of demolishing tents set up on the rubble of previously destroyed homes, local sources told Quds News Network. The area has seen repeated displacement operations as part of Israel’s ongoing efforts to expel Palestinians from the South Hebron Hills.
❗️Hamas kills over 50 members of Israeli-backed Gaza militia
Hamas has killed more than 50 members of an armed group in Gaza led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a clan leader accused of collaborating with Israel, according to a statement issued by the militia. The group claimed its members were “guarding aid convoys and redistributing supplies” and accused Hamas of targeting them to “maintain control over humanitarian assistance.”
The statement comes amid reports from Israeli media that the army has directly intervened to assist Abu Shabab’s group. Channel i24 said an Israeli drone strike targeted Hamas fighters clashing with the militia, calling it the first Israeli strike in Gaza aimed solely at aiding Abu Shabab’s men. Separately, Ynet reported that the militia killed six members of Hamas’ internal security force responsible for pursuing suspected collaborators with Israel.
❗️ Al-Aqsa Voice Radio – Source in the Palestinian resistance’s security apparatus told media outlets:
"A Zionist suicide drone targeted security personnel on Tuesday at the detention site of (A.N.), who had been arrested on charges of collaborating with mercenary gangs and other security and criminal offenses. Several security officers were injured in the strike, while the detainee’s fate remains unknown."
❗️Monitor: Over 17,500 Palestinians arrested in West Bank since Gaza genocide began
Israeli forces have arrested at least 17,500 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said on 11 June. Around 150 of these arrests occurred in the past week alone.
The group described the arrests as part of a campaign of “collective punishment,” noting that the detainees include 545 women and 1,400 children. It added that arrests remain the most “systematic” and “prominent” Israeli policy.
"My son's children are orphans, and my children are gone."
A woman who managed to secure a bag of flour after risking her life to feed her orphaned grandchildren was among the survivors of the aid massacres near the GHF US-backed distribution points in Netzarim and Rafah.
Dozens of Palestinian aid seekers massacred as GHF operations enter third week
The massacres happened as Israeli officials issued mass forced displacement orders for the entirety of northern Gaza
Smotrich moves to collapse Palestinian economy after UK sanctions
The minister’s decision to cancel a Palestinian banking waiver threatens to cut off salaries, payments, and essential services across the occupied West Bank
❗️Chants in support of Hamas among the Sumud (Resilience) Convoy, which set off from Algeria and passed through Tunisia, Libya, and then Egypt on its way to the Rafah border crossing to break the siege on Gaza.
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❗️Israeli forces raid MoneyGram exchange shop in Hebron
Israeli forces stormed a currency exchange office affiliated with MoneyGram in the city of Hebron, south of the occupied West Bank, reportedly looting cash during the operation.
UPDATE | At least 30 aid-seeking civilians massacred and over 100 injured by Israeli occupation forces at a GHF aid site in the Netzarim Corridor today.
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⭕️ "European institutions must protect elected representatives from illegal detention and take immediate action to stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza."
The European Parliament's Left group denounced Israel’s detention of French-Palestinian member of the EU Parliament Rima Hassan and other activists aboard the Madleen vessel.
The group stated that intercepting the ship violated international law, referencing the International Court of Justice’s interim ruling from 16 months ago, which requires Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. They also noted that Hassan’s arrest violated her parliamentary immunity.
The Left also said that the activists were denied food and water during the 16-hour transfer to Ashdod and were forced to stay on the ship's deck until nightfall.
The group further demanded the immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the imposition of an arms embargo on Israel, and stronger diplomatic measures to end the blockade on Gaza.
⭕️ Israeli officials push for full control of West Bank & Jordan Valley
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According to Israel Hayom, Israeli ministers and senior officials from the governing coalition are set to participate on Thursday in a conference supporting the imposition of sovereignty over the West Bank and the Jordan Valley.
Among the participants are Sovereignty Movement leaders Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar; Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich; National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir; Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu; Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chair Yuli Edelstein; Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi; Constitution Committee Chair Simcha Rothman; Deputy Minister Almog Cohen; Knesset members Dan Illouz, Amit Halevi, Limor Son Har-Melech, and Yosef Taieb; Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi; head of the Sderot Yeshiva, Rabbi David Fendel; as well as several journalists and media personalities.
Organizers stated that "full sovereignty will create deterrence and send a firm message."
❗️Images from west of Rafah in southern Gaza show several people wounded after Israeli occupation forces opened fire at aid-seeking civilians near the US-Israeli ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ distribution point, according to local sources.
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❗️PIJ mourns commander killed in Israeli raid on Tamoun (Tubas)
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement has confirmed the killing of one of its senior members, Ra’iq Abdul Rahman Bisharat, during an overnight Israeli raid on the town of Tamoun (Tubas) in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement the group said Bisharat was “treacherously assassinated” by Israeli forces. Israeli special units reportedly prevented medics from reaching him following the shooting.
❗️BREAKING | Director of Blood Banks in Gaza Health:
– I call on the entire world to intervene immediately to save our patients, as they will die due to blood shortages.
– We are in dire need of 7,000 units of blood immediately.
⭕️ Smotrich move threatens Palestinian banking system
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ordered the cancellation of a key waiver that allowed Israeli banks to operate with Palestinian banks.
The waiver protected Israeli institutions from legal risks and enabled the flow of Israeli shekels—vital for the Palestinian economy, which lacks its own currency.
Smotrich’s decision, seen as retaliation for sanctions imposed on him by five Western nations, threatens to collapse the Palestinian banking system and cut off salaries, payments, and essential services across the West Bank.
The move has raised alarms among Israeli and Western officials, who warn it could trigger a humanitarian crisis and fuel regional instability.