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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Reuters: US weighs sanctions on entire International Criminal Court over Israel war crimes probes
The US may impose sanctions as early as this week on the entire International Criminal Court (ICC).
Washington has previously sanctioned individual prosecutors and judges, but this time it would be targeting the court as a whole.
Six sources familiar with the matter said a decision on such "entity sanctions" is expected soon.
One source noted that ICC officials have already held emergency internal meetings to assess the potential impact of sweeping sanctions, while two others said member state diplomats have also convened discussions.
A US official, also speaking anonymously, confirmed that entity-wide sanctions are under consideration but declined to specify when the decision might be made.
BREAKING | Sirens sound north of Eilat, southern Negev, due to a drone infiltration.
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BREAKING | France officially recognizes a 'Palestinian State.'
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, French President Emmanuel Macron announces that France recognizes the 'State of Palestine.'
❗️Israel's Channel 12 citing Israeli officials:
– "The US plan (ceasefire plan for Gaza) may include elements we do not want, such as giving the Palestinian Authority a role."
– "Netanyahu will discuss the US plan with Trump at the White House."
– "Netanyahu knows details of parts of Trump’s plan, and we may be forced to accept some of them."
❗️On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Irish, Slovakian, and Finnish leaders.
Aoun condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, including the recent Bint Jbeil massacre, and highlighted the Lebanese army’s role in implementing UN Resolution 1701.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, Slovakian President Peter Pellegrini, and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto expressed support, offered assistance, and discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation.
❗️A criminal complaint for collusion in Israel's genocide has been formally filed with the Office of the Federal Prosecutor in Karlsruhe by the Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD) and Law for Palestine. The complaint targets eleven German government officials and arms industry executives:
– Olaf Scholz, former Federal Chancellor.
– Annalena Baerbock, former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs.
– Robert Habeck, former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection.
– Friedrich Merz, Federal Chancellor.
– Dr. Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs.
– Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy.
– Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defense.
– Dr. Jorg Stratmann, Managing Director of Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH.
– Dr. Alexander Sagel, CEO of RENK Group AG since 1 February, 2025.
– Ms. Susanne Wiegand, CEO of RENK Group AG until 31 January, 2025.
– Michael Humbek, Managing Director of Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH.
Israel's bulldozers of war: Finishing what the Nakba started
Washington's subsidized bulldozer shipments are enabling Tel Aviv to raze Gaza to the ground, reviving tactics used during the Nakba to ethnically cleanse Palestine.
By Robert Inlakesh
Unidentified drones circle Sumud flotilla en route to Gaza
The flotilla has now entered the ‘yellow zone’ where Israeli attacks are more likely
❗️Russia says 'Two-State Solution' is sole path to resolve 'long-standing conflict'
Russia said today that it supports a 'Two-State Solution,' following questions about some Western countries’ recognition of a 'Palestinian state.'
"We remain committed to the fundamental resolutions of the UN Security Council and remain committed to the international position on the possibility of resolving the Palestinian-Israeli problem on the basis of a two-state approach," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
"This remains our approach, and we believe that it is the only possible way to find a solution to this extremely complex, long-standing conflict, which is now perhaps at its most acute and tragic stage in its entire history."
❗️Former Israeli War Minister Yoav Gallant attacks UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
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Iranian parliament pushes for 'nuclear option' as deterrence to western threat
Lawmakers have said the defense doctrine was shaped under conditions that no longer exist
❗️Singapore to impose targeted sanctions on Israeli settler leaders, calls for 'Two-State Solution'
Singapore announced today that it will implement targeted sanctions against leaders of Israeli settler groups and would recognize a 'Palestinian state' under appropriate conditions.
"We call on the Israeli government to cease settlement construction and expansion," Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated in parliament today, referring to the E1 settlement project, which he said fragments the occupied West Bank.
"We oppose ongoing attempts to create new facts on the ground which undermine the prospects for a two-state solution."
"Ultimately, to resolve this long-standing conflict in a comprehensive, just and durable manner, there needs to be a negotiated settlement which results in two states, one Israeli [and] one Palestinian, with their peoples living alongside each other in peace, security and dignity," he added.
❗️Israel has killed at least 31 Palestinians in its attacks on the Gaza Strip since dawn today — 27 of them in Gaza City, according to medical and press sources.
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‼️ One person was killed and three others injured in an explosion at a wholesale market in Antalya, Turkiye.
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❗️Arab, Muslim leaders to meet with Trump to discuss 'Gaza peace plan'
Arab and Muslim leaders will meet US President Donald Trump in New York to press for a UN-mandated international 'stabilization' force in Gaza, following France’s recognition of Palestine alongside the UK, Canada, Australia and others.
The plan, expected to be endorsed at the UN conference on Palestinian statehood, calls for disarming Hamas, deploying an international force to oversee Gaza’s security, and preparing the Palestinian Authority (PA) to govern Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The Arab League has already declared that Hamas must have no political role, with weapons handed over to a reformed PA.
Trump is scheduled to meet leaders from Turkiye, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE after his UN address, marking his most direct engagement with Arab states on "post-war Gaza." However, he has sanctioned PA officials and barred Mahmoud Abbas from attending the UN, casting doubt on US support for the Arab League’s vision.
Israel has threatened to annex the West Bank in response to Palestine’s recognition, a move the UAE said would cross a red line, while France and the UK urged Tel Aviv not to escalate. Germany reiterated that annexation undermines peace prospects, stressing that a negotiated 'two-state solution' remains the only viable path.
(The Guardian)
❗️Highlights from French President Emmanuel Macron's speech at the UN General Assembly in New York:
– "We must pave the way for peace."
– "We must do everything within our power to preserve the very possibility of a 'two-state solution,' Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security."
Macron also presented a plan for a "renewed Palestinian Authority," saying France would establish an embassy if conditions including reforms, a ceasefire, and the release of all remaining Israeli captives held by Hamas in Gaza are met.
Why western recognition of Palestine changes nothing
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❗️Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa held a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio today on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The two leaders posed for photos ahead of the talks but did not issue any public remarks.
(Anadolu)
Pro-Israel tech firm to take control of US TikTok algorithm
US President Trump and Chinese President Xi are close to a deal for Beijing to relinquish control of TikTok in the US
❗️Azerbaijan channels weapons to Ukraine via Sudan, masked as aid
Azerbaijan, with NATO partners, is reportedly supplying weapons to Ukraine via a complex route through Africa, including Sudan, according to Rwandan digital outlet Umuseke.
CIHAZ Industrial Association, under Azerbaijan’s Defense Ministry, ships arms disguised as “humanitarian aid” through Turkiye and Sudan, before reaching Germany and then Ukraine. The supplies include Turkish-made pistols, MANPADS, bombs, and drone parts. Other Azerbaijani firms like Technol LLC and Azersky reportedly use similar channels.
(Sputnik & Umuseke)
⭕️ Retired US general and ex-CIA chief David Petraeus expresses concern over whether Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is “getting enough sleep at night."
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❗️Sharaa urges US to lift Caesar Act sanctions in New York
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa today reiterated his demand that Washington formally lift US sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Act during his visit to New York.
Speaking at a summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Sharaa argued that the sanctions targeting Syria are no longer justified and are increasingly perceived by Syrians as directly affecting them.
"We have a big mission to build the economy," Sharaa told retired general and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) David Petraeus, who led US forces during the Iraq War, in an on-stage interview.
"Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it's in its genes. So don't be worried, just lift the sanctions and you will see the results."
❗️AFP reports that Israel will not allow the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the blockade on Gaza.
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Iran nuclear chief in Moscow for talks on expanding atomic program
Iran is seeking help from Russia to build eight nuclear power plants by 2040
❗️British Opposition and Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticizes the UK’s official recognition of the 'State of Palestine.'
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⭕️ Kuwait’s oil production capacity hits highest in over a decade
Kuwait's oil production capacity has reached 3.2 million barrels per day (bpd), oil minister Tariq al-Roumi stated in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas.
This is the highest level in over a decade, with capacity previously peaking at 3.3 million bpd in 2010 before falling below 3 million bpd, according to multiple reports.
Under the OPEC+ agreement, Kuwait intends to increase its oil output to 2.559 million bpd starting in October, Roumi told Al Qabas.
❗️Press Statement by the Gaza Ministry of Health:
– “Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital and the Gaza Eye Hospital have gone out of service due to the continuous targeting of their vicinity, in addition to the destruction of the Medical Relief Center in Gaza City."
– "It is worth noting that Al-Rantisi Hospital was directly bombed a few days ago, causing severe damage."
– "The Gaza Eye Hospital is the only public facility providing ophthalmology services in the strip, while Al-Rantisi offers unique medical services that are not available elsewhere."
– "The [Israeli] occupation is deliberately and systematically striking Gaza’s healthcare system as part of its genocidal campaign against the Strip."
– "None of the facilities and hospitals are accessible by safe routes, preventing patients and the wounded from reaching them."
– "Patients and the wounded face extreme difficulty reaching the Jordanian field hospital and Al-Quds Hospital due to ongoing bombardment."
Pentagon bans journalists from reporting 'unauthorized disclosures'
Department of War chief Pete Hegseth is seeking to crackdown on leaks to journalists
❗️Fox News: Hamas letter held by Qatar, expected to reach Trump this week
Fox News reports that Hamas has sent a letter to US President Donald Trump seeking his guarantee of a 60-day truce in Gaza in return for releasing half of the Israeli captives it holds, citing both a senior Trump administration official and a source involved in the talks.
The letter is currently in Qatar’s possession and is expected to be handed to Trump later this week, according to the report.
Israel's Channel 12 cites a source saying Hamas has not yet signed the letter but could do so in the coming days.
‼️ Israeli Army Radio reports that an Israeli army Givati Brigade unit platoon commander was seriously injured in a gun skirmish this morning in Gaza City.
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