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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Syrian Arab tribes declare ‘general mobilization’ against SDF
Skirmishes have been breaking out between the SDF and government forces, coinciding with tension over a deal to integrate the Kurdish group into the Syrian army
⭕️ Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that while many Western countries plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September with good intentions, they are approaching the issue incorrectly.
“With the Gaza crisis still unfolding, this focus on recognition seems totally beside the more pressing realities. Amid the suffering of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages—and Israel’s announced plan to occupy all or part of the enclave—averting famine, recovering the hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza are the priorities. Talk of two states can wait,” he wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
Blinken noted that Israel has accomplished two of its three war objectives in Gaza. However, he says freeing the Israeli captives in Gaza “is unlikely to be met by fully occupying Gaza,” and Israel “has failed to develop a plan to withdraw from Gaza and prevent Hamas from taking over again.
⭕️ Trump administration not considering Gaza airdrops
Under former US president Joe Biden, the US military conducted multiple waves of food airdrops into Gaza, delivering about 1,220 tons of aid.
However, the approach has not been seriously considered under Donald Trump’s administration, US officials and other sources said, despite his public concern about starvation in Gaza amid Israel’s nearly two-year military campaign against Hamas.
One source described the idea as unrealistic, noting that airdrops could not meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents.
"It just hasn't been part of the discussions," a US official said, speaking anonymously about internal Trump administration talks.
A source familiar with the matter added: "It hasn’t been a serious consideration because it’s not really a serious option at this moment."
(Reuters)
❗️Hamas's Qassam Brigades reports that its fighters targeted an Israeli command and control site on the Salah al-Din axis near Tel Za’arb, south of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, with the short-range “Rajum” rocket system, caliber 114 mm.
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Turkiye’s drive in Africa: Where ambitions meet reality
As the US and France pull back from Africa, Turkiye is pushing forward with humanitarian projects, a growing military footprint, and arms exports. Yet Ankara’s ambitions remain constrained by political realities and contested outcomes.
By Aidan J. Simardone
❗️Trump demands $1 billion from UCLA
US President Donald Trump on Friday demanded that the University of California system pay a $1 billion fine, as his administration pressed accusations of antisemitism over UCLA’s handling of 2024 Gaza-related student protests.
The amount is five times what Columbia University agreed to in settling similar federal antisemitism allegations and would “completely devastate” the UC public university system, according to a senior official.
President James Milliken, who oversees the UC system’s 10 campuses, including UCLA, confirmed that administrators received the $1 billion demand on Friday and were reviewing it.
“As a public university, we are stewards of taxpayer resources and a payment of this scale would completely devastate our country’s greatest public university system as well as inflict great harm on our students and all Californians,” he said.
❗️Israeli Channel 12 correspondent Amit Segal:
"The significance of the cabinet’s decision — Israel has not closed the door on a captives deal, and a decisive move against Hamas will be delayed.
The most dramatic element in last night’s cabinet decision is what it lacks: in stark contrast to Israel’s publicly stated position of only supporting a comprehensive deal, the cabinet did not rule out the possibility of reaching a partial deal.
Ministers from both sides weighed in on the importance of the decision. In fact, it could be said that almost everyone present — from Smotrich, to Saar, to Chief of Staff Zamir — left disappointed. On one hand, the decision does not include an actual resolution on defeating Hamas; on the other hand, there is a large-scale operation in Gaza City, with its heavy costs in lives and in Israel’s international standing."
WATCH | US fans the flames of CIVIL WAR in Lebanon
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BREAKING | Israeli airstrikes target Brigade 107 near the village of Zama in the Jableh area of Latakia countryside, Syria.
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❗️Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi:
– “There’s been a case of ‘bankruptcy’ over the past few weeks, with claims that Egypt is blocking aid and closing the crossing. This is very strange. We could let the aid in if there were no Israeli forces on the other side.”
– “Egypt has done everything in its power to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza, but the situation is complicated by the presence of Israeli forces at the crossing.”
– “Israel controls the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and is preventing aid from entering. There are 5,000 trucks ready to enter Gaza from Egypt and other countries.”
– “What is happening in Gaza is a systematic genocide and a liquidation of the Palestinian cause, and history will hold many countries accountable for their positions in this war.”
‼️ Gaza medic KILLED by airdropped aid he once condemned
Oday al-Qar'an, a nurse at Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, was killed in Al-Zawaida, Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip today, when an airdropped aid box struck him.
In a recent video, Qar'an had condemned the aid airdrops as “the humiliation of a people” and insufficient for Gaza’s starving population. Aid groups have repeatedly warned that such drops are both dangerous as well as ineffective.
Iran, Pakistan ink 12 cooperation deals to boost trade and regional connectivity
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the two Islamic nations can connect the Silk Road trade route between China and Europe
❗️French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has announced that Paris will suspend all medical and academic evacuations from the devastated and starved Gaza Strip.
The decision came after a Palestinian student evacuated from Gaza, now in France, was accused of reposting so-called ‘antisemitic content’ online. The university where she planned to resume her studies, Sciences Po Lille, declared her enrollment invalid.
❗️US representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expresses concern mainly over Christian Palestinians in Gaza on X, calls Palestinian resistance "radical Islamic terrorism":
"Yesterday I spoke to a Christian pastor from Gaza.
There are children starving.
And Christians have been killed and injured, as well as many innocent people.
If you are an American Christian, this should be absolutely unacceptable to you.
Just as we said that Hamas killing and kidnapping innocent people on Oct 7th is absolutely unacceptable.
Are innocent Israeli lives more valuable than innocent Palestinian and Christian lives?
And why should America continue funding this?
The secular government of nuclear armed Israel has proven that they are beyond capable of dealing with their enemies and are capable of and are in the process of systematically cleansing them from the land.
Most Americans that I know don’t hate Israel and we are not antisemitic at all.
We are beyond fed up with being told that we have to fix the world’s problems, pay for the world’s problems, and fight all the world’s wars while Americans are struggling to survive even though they work everyday.
And many of us, even though we are Christians, no longer want to fund and fight nuclear armed secular Israel’s wars especially when it leads to starving children and killing innocent people including Christians.
Of course we are against radical Islamic terrorism, but we are also against genocide.
You see..
When you have worked your entire life, and will only receive a $1,000 Social Security check, but noncitizens were given $3,500 and more, you are pissed off.
When you have worked your entire life, and all your elected federal officials have recklessly spent and sent your hard earned money to every foreign country and every foreign war and NGO to the point we are almost $40 TRILLION in debt and inflation has caused life to be unaffordable, you are pissed off.
When you have worked your entire life, and your elected federal government officials refuse to fix the absurd problems that makes all insurance unaffordable, you are pissed off.
And for the younger generations, who are trying their hardest to make it in this ridiculous system, they feel hopeless!
And that makes me burn with anger.
None of this is antisemitic and I, along with millions of Americans, refuse that manipulative label.
It’s the consequences of decades of America LAST policies, nonstop foreign intervention, and the American people clearly seeing the truth and suffering.
We already have hate crime laws against that and that’s not who we are in America and we have and should continue to work hard to not allow ourselves to become that.
My position is this.
As a U.S. Representative, I represent the American people.
My full focus is on fixing America’s problems.
And right now, the problems in America are threatening my children’s future.
I consider that a war against my children.
Every single person, no matter who they are that continues to enslave my children in debt, continues policies that make their lives unaffordable, and prioritizes foreign countries and foreign wars above my children’s lives and livelihoods, I see as the enemy waging the war against my children and their generation.
Most importantly, I demand the federal government serve the American people, who pay your salaries.
I sincerely hope Republicans, out on August recess right now, will return in September with a renewed focus to stop funding foreign wars and stop waging the fiscal war against my children and their entire generation."
China ‘shocked, disappointed’ by US sanctions on PA
Washington accused Ramallah of ‘supporting terrorism’ and ‘internationalizing’ the conflict with Israel through the ICC
World's largest sovereign wealth fund divests from Israeli companies
The decision by Norway followed revelations of the fund's stake in an Israeli jet engine manufacturer
Israel's army formed special intel unit to 'justify killing' of hundreds of Gaza journalists
The unit, called the ‘Legitimization Cell,’ was established by the military intelligence directorate, which includes Unit 8200
Zangezur or bust: A US corridor scheme meets an Iranian red line
The US-backed 'Meghri Corridor initiative' seeks to isolate Iran, undercut Russia, and entrench Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Israeli influence, but Tehran insists the ‘American corridor’ will be dead and buried.
Israel assassinates entire Al Jazeera crew ahead of Gaza City occupation
Anas al-Sharif, accused by Tel Aviv of being a Hamas operative, was killed alongside five of his colleagues in a strike on their tent in Gaza City
VIDEO | Israelis stormed the studios of Channel 13 in a protest demanding an end to the war on the Gaza Strip. On their shirts was written “Get out of Gaza.” The channel cut the live broadcast.
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⭕️ On Friday, the World Bank announced it had approved a $650 million loan for the Istanbul Resilience Project, aimed at enhancing the city’s capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters and climate-related risks. The initiative seeks to bolster Istanbul’s overall resilience by safeguarding lives, livelihoods, and economic activity, the bank said in a statement.
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UPDATE | Israel assassinated Mohammad Shehadeh, the correspondent and director of the Hawana Lebanon news website.
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❗️Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
“The recent statements made by Iranian Foreign Minister Mr. Abbas Araghchi, in which he addressed internal Lebanese matters that do not concern the Islamic Republic in any way, are rejected and condemned. They constitute a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, and stability, and are considered interference in its internal affairs and sovereign decisions.
Relations between states can only be built on the basis of mutual respect, equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and full adherence to the decisions of legitimate constitutional institutions. It is completely unacceptable for these relations to be exploited to encourage or support internal parties outside the framework of the Lebanese state and its institutions, and at its expense.”
IMEC’s imperial illusion: Why the US-backed trade corridor will fail
Disguised as infrastructural development, IMEC is the latest Atlanticist attempt to reassert control over West Asia. But from Gaza to BRICS, regional actors are shutting that door.
By Suleyman Karan
❗️The Trump administration announced that US states and cities choosing to boycott Israeli companies would be ineligible for federal disaster preparedness funding, according to an agency statement.
To qualify for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), states must confirm they will not terminate “commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies,” as outlined in FEMA’s grant requirements.
This stipulation affects at least $1.9 billion in funding that states use for essential resources such as search and rescue equipment, emergency management staff salaries, and backup power systems, based on a review of 11 grant notices by Reuters.
❗️Hundreds of former Israeli intelligence & security officials urge Trump to pressure Netanyahu for Gaza ceasefire
Hundreds of retired Israeli security officials, including former heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war on Gaza.
In an open letter signed by 550 former officials, they wrote: “It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel.”
Former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon said, “At first this war was a just war, a defensive war, but when we achieved all military objectives, this war ceased to be a just war,” warning that it is “leading the State of Israel to lose its security and identity.”
The letter, signed by ex-Mossad heads Tamir Pardo, Efraim Halevy, and Danny Yatom, five former Shin Bet chiefs including Nadav Argaman and Yoram Cohen, and former military chiefs Ehud Barak, Moshe Yaalon, and Dan Halutz, argued the military “has long accomplished” its goals of dismantling Hamas’s military formations and governance.
“The third, and most important, can only be achieved through a deal: bringing all the hostages home … Chasing remaining senior Hamas operatives can be done later,” it added, urging Trump, who “has credibility with the majority of Israelis,” to push for a ceasefire and form a regional coalition to back a reformed Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
❗️At least 100,000 Protesters marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for Palestine in Australia.
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WATCH | Qassam Brigades publishes a video titled, "The occupying government has decided to starve them. Time Is Running Out..."
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❗️US Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack:
"Heartfelt thanks to Qatar for fully funding a vital gas initiative for Syria. From Aug 2, Azerbaijan’s natural gas, delivered via [Turkiye], will power 800 MW, lighting up 5M homes. A profound step toward relief and stability at a critical moment. A bold demonstration by Qatar and its leadership of partnership and friendship."
US lawmakers demand probe into Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's 'aid traps'
Criticism is mounting in response to the the continuous toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and US military-linked contractors at GHF sites