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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
⭕️ Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas met with Tony Blair and tells him Hamas will not govern Gaza – and it must hand over its weapons to the PA.
Abbas said the only solution is full Israeli withdrawal and the State of Palestine assuming full responsibility in accordance with the PLO framework.
⭕️ Iran says IAEA inspectors planted spy chips in their shoes
Iran has accused inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of espionage, saying they planted hidden surveillance chips in their shoes during inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities.
The accusation was made by Mahmoud Nabavian, Deputy Chair of Iran's Parliamentary National Security Committee, who said the discovery of the chips proved the inspectors’ involvement in intelligence activities.
Nabavian also held IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi responsible for leaking confidential Iranian reports to Israel.
In an interview with Fars News Agency, Nabavian asserted that IAEA agents are “undoubtedly spies,” and that confidential documents were leaked to US and Israeli media even before being reviewed within the agency.
He stressed that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA will remain limited and under the supervision of its Supreme National Security Council.
❗️Netanyahu rejects Hamas's demands
Israeli PM Netanyahu says Israel accepted the Witkoff proposal and then another proposal by the mediators, but "Hamas rejected it" and wants to stay in Gaza.
He says he will not accept the demand that Israel leave Gaza so that Hamas can rearm and "attack us again and again."
❗️Albanese speaks out against US sanctions imposed on her
The UN's top expert on Palestinian rights, Francesca Albanese, said on Friday that US sanctions against her could discourage others from engaging with her and limit her ability to travel, though she intends to carry on with her work.
Albanese explained that she is now subject to asset freezes and may face travel restrictions, warning that the US move risks setting a "dangerous" example for human rights advocates globally.
"There are no red lines anymore ... It is scary," she said.
"It might block me from moving around. It will have a chilling effect on people normally engaging with me because for American citizens or for green card holders, this is going to be extremely problematic."
"My plans are to continue what I've been doing," Albanese added.
(Reuters)
#OnThisDay Hezbollah killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two in a cross-border operation known as "The Truth-full Promise"
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Iran's Eurasian pivot is the key to averting WWIII
Washington's imperial ambitions and Tel Aviv's fanaticism have pushed the world to the brink of nuclear annihilation. But Iran's integration into the Eurasian axis offers humanity a vital off-ramp.
By Matthew Ehret
BREAKING | Israeli military spokesman announces that Israel will strike several areas in Gaza City with "extreme force."
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VIDEO | The Jadallah family bids farewell to five of its members, including four children, after they were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.
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Turkish police detain over 500 opposition figures in anti-CHP crackdown
The probe has widened to CHP-run cities, jailing elected officials without indictments as Erdogan faces accusations of using the judiciary for political gain
❗️❗️WATCH | Footage of the Yemeni Armed Forces warning, targeting, and sinking the ETERNITY C cargo ship in the Red Sea, which violated the ban on sailing to Israeli ports.
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❗️UN supported program begins repatriation of Syrians from Lebanon with cash incentives
Thousands of Syrian refugees are expected to return from Lebanon this week as part of the first UN supported initiative offering financial incentives.
Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed said that each returning Syrian will receive $100 in Lebanon and $400 per family upon arrival in Syria. Transportation costs will be covered, and border fees have been waived, she added.
"I think it's a good and important start. We have discussed and are coordinating this with our Syrian counterparts and I think the numbers will increase in the coming weeks," Sayed said.
(Reuters)
Gaza ceasefire talks stuck at starting line, says Qatar
Key demands on withdrawals, guarantees, and aid access remain unresolved as pressure mounts to strike a deal during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington
VIDEO | The moment a Yemeni missile landed on an Israeli target without being intercepted.
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❗️Israel Hayom reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure to the US has been delayed due to the ongoing dispute over the conscription law.
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❗️Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on X:
"The Prime Minister made a mistaken decision yesterday to approve the entry of aid through a method that also reaches Hamas.
I have been consistent in this demand and criticism from day one of the war and have no intention of backing down in the face of briefings against me or attempts to silence this criticism.
With all due respect, my criticism is also directed at the Prime Minister, who throughout the months of war has failed to implement the decisions of the political echelon and enforce them upon the senior IDF command on this critical issue for victory—the destruction of Hamas and the return of the hostages.
The decision made yesterday, against our position, to allow aid to enter via the old and problematic method is unacceptable to us, and we will consider our response."
⭕️ Syria signs $800M Tartous port deal with DP World
Syria has finalized an $800 million agreement with Dubai-based DP World to redevelop the Tartous port.
The deal, signed in Damascus in the presence of self-apoointed Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, aims to modernize Syria’s logistics sector and revive trade through one of its most strategic coastal hubs.
DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem emphasized the port’s potential in revitalizing local industry and positioning Syria back on the global trade map.
In recent months, Syria has signed a 30-year deal with France’s CMA CGM to manage Latakia port and a $7 billion energy contract with Qatari, Turkish, and US firms.
❗️The first photo to emerge of Palestinian journalist and West Bank bureu chief of Al Mayadeen Nasser al-Lahham since his detention by Israeli occupation forces shows him during his trial at Ofer military court, which extended his arrest for three more days.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club's lawyer, he is being held under extremely harsh conditions.
❗️US envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack, who warned that Lebanon will become a part of Greater Syria if it does not submit to US demands, chief among them Hezbollah's disarmament, now claims he was only "praising Syria's impressive strides" and not threatening Lebanon.
"I can assure that Syria’s leaders only want co-existence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon, and the United States is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity."
Gaza ceasefire talks collapse over Israel's occupation demands: Report
As the talks hit a new roadblock, fierce battles between Palestinian resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces have raged inside the strip over the past day
❗️Quds Brigades announces that its fighters destroyed an Israeli military vehicle by detonating a pre-planted barrel bomb in the Sheikh Nasser area, east of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza.
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⭕️ On 9 July, influential Saudi Salafi Sheikh Rabee al-Madkhali died at the age of 92.
Madkhali was a leading figure of the pro-regime "Madkhali" current known for its strict opposition to political Islam and revolutionary movements.
Rabee al-Madkhali and his followers view the Muslim Brotherhood as misguided and dangerous to Islam, accusing them of sowing division and rebellion. They also firmly condemn Shia Iran, communism, and any form of opposition to what they define as legitimate authority.
Madkhali was a staunch supporter of undemocratically elected rulers across the Arab world, including Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and the Gulf monarchs, while notably opposing Muammar Gaddafi, whom he declared a heretic.
He was particularly appreciated in Morocco for denouncing the Polisario Front and labeling the group as "Khawarij" (deviants/rebels).
❗️According to the Financial Times, US and Israeli officials say that the clearest indication of an imminent breakthrough in the Gaza ceasefire talks would be the arrival of US envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Witkoff isn’t even there yet [in Doha]. When he gets there then you know there is likely to be a deal,” said an Israeli official.
'Abraham Shield': Israel's next big blitzkrieg
The Abraham Shield is certainly not a peace plan, but rather a war blueprint cloaked in the PR language of mutual stability and prosperity.
By Anis Raiss
❗️Human rights defendants denounce US sanctions on UN expert Francesca Albanese
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called on the US to reconsider its decision. "Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures," he said.
Juerg Lauber, Switzerland’s permanent representative to the UN and current president of the Human Rights Council, expressed regret over the sanctions and urged countries to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal" against the council's experts.
Mariana Katzarova, the special rapporteur on human rights in Russia, voiced concern that other nations might follow the US example. "This is totally unacceptable and opens the gates for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It is an attack on UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and denounce this."
Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, stated that "The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely."
Kenneth Roth, the Human Right Watch's former head, described the US sanctions as an effort "to deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza."
WATCH US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack whitewash the Nusra Front as a "guerilla warfare group" in an attempt to erase its history of terrorism, executions, and ties to Al-Qaeda — calling them "thoughtful and considerate."
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VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces demolish several Palestinian homes in the town of Shuqba, in Ramallah, West Bank.
Demolition operations are increasing at an unprecedented and alarming pace.
‼️ Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza received the bodies of 10 Palestinians killed by Israeli shelling on tents sheltering displaced people in Al-Mawasi, Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
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⭕️ Lebanese president meets US envoy following Hezbollah disarmament demands
– Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met US envoy Tom Barrack at Baabda Palace on 7 July to receive Washington’s formal roadmap demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah and other resistance factions.
– The plan, reportedly backed by Israel, proposes that Hezbollah give up its weapons in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas of southern Lebanon.
– It also calls on Beirut to strengthen ties with Damascus and adopt financial reforms aligned with US conditions.
– Barrack told Lebanese officials he expects a final response soon and that full disarmament should be completed by November.
– Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the proposal on 6 July, declaring: “Threats [of continued aggression] will not make us accept surrender.”
– Hours after his remarks, Israel launched heavy airstrikes on multiple areas across Southern Lebanon in what is widely seen as a direct response to Hezbollah’s stance.
(Source: Al Arabiya)
BREAKING | Attack reported on vessel southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen
UKMTO reports that a vessel 51 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, Yemen, came under attack by multiple small vessels using small arms and RPGs. The ship’s armed security returned fire, and the situation is ongoing. Authorities are investigating.
❗️Israeli Army Radio correspondent:
"Yesterday, Hamas released footage documenting the incident that led to the killing of a soldier and the wounding of others in Khan Yunis. From the footage, much can be deduced about the guerrilla warfare Hamas is currently waging against our forces in the Strip. The gunmen move through the rubble, use explosive devices they still possess in the field, monitor our forces' movements through surveillance posts and cameras distributed across the area, then strike when the opportunity arises. These characteristics are common in most of the incidents in which the army has sustained losses in recent weeks in Gaza. Growing questions are being raised: Is this war — between a conventional army and guerrilla fighters — achieving the desired results from Israel's perspective?"