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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
A new front is taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greece–Cyprus–Israel alliance is emerging as a cornerstone of Washington’s strategy to box in Turkiye and contain China’s influence.
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VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces advance on the road connecting the villages of Al-Ajraf and Eastern Al-Samdanieh in the Quneitra countryside in the occupied Golan heights.
(SANA)
VIDEO | Israeli warplanes attack the Jarmaq-Mahmoudiya area in south Lebanon.
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VIDEO | Trump claims he spoke with Indian Prime Minister Modi, who assured him India would not buy Russian oil, adding that if India did, it would face "massive tariffs."
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❗️BREAKING | Statement by Hamas's Qassam Brigades on recent events in Rafah:
“We affirm our full commitment to implementing everything that was agreed upon, foremost of which is the ceasefire across all areas of the Gaza Strip. We have no knowledge of any incidents or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the occupation's control. Communication has been cut off with our remaining groups there since the war resumed in March of this year, and we have no information on whether they were martyred or are still alive since that time. Therefore, we have no connection to any incidents occurring in those areas and cannot communicate with any of our fighters there, if any are still alive.”
VIDEO | Israeli settler assaults elderly Palestinian woman in the lands of Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, during an attack on olive pickers.
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❗️Israeli occupation forces are heavily deployed in several neighborhoods of Tubas, conducting search operations at the site of the explosion after an explosive device was thrown at invading troops during a raid on the city Saturday evening.
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❗️Director of Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza and freed Palestinian prisoner Ahmad Mhanna:
– “My detention lasted one year and ten months, during which I endured various forms of torture."
– “The [Israeli] occupation targeted doctors in its prisons under extremely difficult conditions, leading to the deaths of many prisoners."
– “Prisoners’ hands were bound for hours in holding areas under harsh climatic conditions."
– “The occupation leveled false accusations and insults against us, despite our hospital serving women and children."
❗️ICC rejects Israel’s appeal against arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
On 18 October, the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially dismissed Israel’s request to appeal the arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza. The court ruled that “the issue, as framed by Israel, is not an appealable issue” while a separate question of ICC jurisdiction remains under review.
Earlier, in November 2024, the ICC found “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for actions including starvation as a method of warfare and targeting civilians. Israel had challenged both the warrants and the court’s jurisdiction, but the court has kept the warrants in place while the broader legal issues are being examined.
❗️Statement issued by the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza:
Praising the national and popular consensus rejecting chaos and lawlessness, and valuing the positions of the factions and familiesЧитать полностью…
The Ministry of Interior and National Security expresses its deep appreciation for the positions taken by families and tribes in the Gaza Strip, as well as the stances of the factions and national forces that reject chaos and lawlessness. These positions affirm the restoration of security and order, the eradication of manifestations of disorder, and the lifting of family and tribal protection from anyone who works to perpetuate chaos within society or aligns with the Israeli occupation in attempts to undermine civil peace.
We salute and thank all the families of our people who have expressed principled positions rejecting collaboration with the occupation’s schemes and standing together against chaos. The association of a renegade handful with the occupation and their collaboration does not shame our people or their honorable families; this small faction will remain nationally and socially isolated. We in the Ministry of Interior are in continuous and close contact and cooperation with all families, tribes, and factions of our people, and we stand united in restoring security and order and alleviating the suffering of our bereaved people.
These positions reflect a high sense of responsibility and represent a national and popular consensus in the Gaza Strip that seeks to strengthen security and order after two full years of brutal war. The Ministry of Interior will continue to carry out its duties in accordance with the law and through the combined efforts of all segments of society.
The occupation’s collaborators and those who incite chaos and lawlessness will not be allowed to remain in the face of this national consensus; this faction is destined for swift demise and disappearance.
❗️IMF director says 'lasting peace' in Gaza would 'benefit the region'
Speaking at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings yesterday in Washington, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she was relieved when the recent ceasefire was achieved, stating it brought hope to those affected by Israel's war on Gaza.
"It is important because everybody concerned encourages this direction of sustaining a lasting peace, and yes, it would benefit the region," she said. "There will be a peace dividend for everybody."
Georgieva confirmed the IMF is working with Lebanon, which has requested a loan program. "I hope we will be able to come up with a program," she said, without elaborating.
She added that Syria has asked for IMF support to rebuild its central bank and other institutions.
"So when there is peace, there is also this benefit that those who are there to support you, it is easier, more viable for this support to come," she said.
Israeli army launches 'recruitment campaign' in Yemen targeting Ansarallah opponents
Paid online ads have emerged calling on Yemenis to 'secure a better future' by working for Israel against Ansarallah and the Yemeni army
⭕️ China responds to the US demand to abandon Russian oil: 'A typical example of unilateral bullying'
Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, commented to Sputnik on US President Donald Trump’s remarks that India was “ready to give up Russian oil soon” and his call for China to do the same:
“China firmly rejects all illegal unilateral sanctions, the expansion of jurisdiction, and any form of coercion or pressure.”
The diplomat stressed that cooperation conducted within the framework of international law is “reasonable and legitimate,” does not harm the interests of third parties, and should be respected.
According to AFP, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian also described US actions as “a typical example of unilateral bullying and economic coercion.”
'They came to kill us’: How Syrian security forces massacred Alawites in Brabishbo
This investigation reveals how self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s General Security forces colluded with extremist armed factions to murder 44 people in a small Alawite village in Latakia.
‼️ Hamas hands over the bodies of two Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Gaza City.
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Madagascar erupts, Indian Ocean power dynamics in flux
With France ejected and its president in exile, Madagascar's revolt opens the island to new suitors – and new conflicts – in a sea increasingly shaped by multipolar ambitions
By Aidan J. Simardone
❗️Khamenei rejects Trump's nuclear claims amid rising tensions
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s recent claims that the United States and Israel have destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities. During a meeting on Monday, 20 October, Khamenei referred to Trump's assertions as a "delusion," emphasizing that Iran's nuclear industry remains intact and operational. He further stated, “Let him continue living in that illusion,” and highlighted Iran's missile capabilities as a deterrent against future threats.
This statement follows Trump's remarks to the Israeli Knesset, where he described the joint US–Israeli operation against Iran as “magnificent,” claiming it had effectively eliminated Iran’s nuclear program. Khamenei criticized these remarks as part of a broader "soft war" aimed at undermining Iranian morale.
❗️Israeli forces detained dozens of Palestinian workers from the occupied West Bank last night as they attempted to cross the Israeli segregation barrier for work, amid a sharp rise in unemployment and poverty across the occupied territory in recent years.
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Rubber-stamp rule: Syria’s parliament is built to obey, not represent
Stripped of opposition, oversight, and democratic substance, Syria’s new ‘People’s Assembly’ exposes a deeper crisis in the country’s political system.
By Aghiad Hegazi
BREAKING | At least 5 Palestinians killed in an Israeli attack on a cafe west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip.
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VIDEO | A glimpse of the destruction caused by the Israeli occupation forces’ assault on the West Bank city of Tubas, which lasted for hours.
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❗️Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades:
"As part of the Al-Aqsa Flood prisoner exchange deal, the Qassam Brigades will hand over the bodies of two Israeli prisoners recovered today in the Gaza Strip at 10 pm Gaza time."
❗️Egypt: 'Palestinian cause' related to advancing India-Europe transport corridor
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Friday that resolving the "Palestinian cause" is essential for advancing a US-backed transport initiative linking India to Europe via West Asia.
The project, called the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC), was unveiled alongside the G20 summit in September 2023 and is viewed as a US alternative to China’s Belt and Road global infrastructure strategy.
"We have to bear in mind that connectivity is very important as part of a final settlement of the Palestinian cause," Abdelatty told reporters during a visit to New Delhi. He said he discussed the IMEC with his Indian counterpart and noted that Egypt is open to participating in the project.
The corridor is planned to stretch from India across the Arabian Sea to the UAE, through Saudi Arabia, and then via Jordan and Israel to Europe. India and the UAE signed a framework agreement for the project last year.
BREAKING | Israel directly targets a civilian car carrying a family on their way back home in Gaza City’s Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, killing 11 people — including 7 children and 3 women, according to Civil Defense.
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❗️Italy says recognition of Palestine ‘closer’ but conditional on disarmament
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome’s recognition of Palestine is approaching but depends on the removal of weapons and the exclusion of Hamas from governance in Gaza. Speaking at the Med Dialogues in Naples, Tajani told Ansa that Italy “cannot have a dialogue with Hamas” and supports the Palestinian Authority as “a very serious authority.”
He added that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to visit Italy in November, emphasizing that security in Gaza must be strengthened as a prerequisite for reconstruction and future recognition.
Israel’s Unit 504 is working to recruit Yemenis through covert online campaigns, as Tel Aviv looks to expand its operations against Ansarallah.
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❗️Turkiye appoints former disaster chief to lead Gaza aid effort
Turkiye has appointed a former head of its disaster management agency to oversee aid operations for Gaza, signaling its intent to take a more active role as a guarantor of the new ceasefire after being largely absent from earlier diplomatic efforts, a Foreign Ministry source told Reuters.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, joined traditional mediators Qatar and Egypt this week in approving US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, following two years of limited engagement. The source said Mehmet Gulluoglu, former head of Turkiye’s AFAD disaster agency and a former ambassador, was named coordinator for humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and traveled to the region on Wednesday.
"Turkiye is mobilizing all its resources to rapidly deliver aid to Gaza, establish temporary housing areas, and for Gaza's reconstruction," the Reuters said.
❗️US begins planning international force for Gaza under Trump’s 20-point plan
Planning is underway for an international force to enter Gaza, two senior US advisors said yesterday.
The advisors noted that tensions remain high between Israel and Hamas, with one saying, "Right now what we're looking to accomplish is just a basic stabilization of the situation. The international stabilization force is starting to be constructed."
The US is in talks with Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and Azerbaijan about contributing to the mission, the advisors said, adding that around two dozen US personnel are already in the region in a "coordination, oversight" capacity. "The goal is to use all the different local partners who want to help and be involved," one advisor added.
(Reuters)
London slaps new sanctions on Russian oil majors, blacklists 'shadow fleet'
The UK government extended penalties to Indian and Chinese firms accused of facilitating Russian oil exports through covert shipping networks
❗️CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper tells Hamas to “disarm without delay” and follow Trump’s 20-point plan.
In a clear break from Trump’s recent stance, the statement calls on Hamas to stop "shooting at innocent civilians," contradicting Trump’s own approval of Hamas's recent operations against “dangerous gangs.”