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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
❗️Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaking from Nicosia, Cyprus:
– "What is happening on the ground is far beyond the imagination. There is a genocide in motion there, mass killing of civilians, artificial starvation created by the Israelis."
– "Displacement is not an option and it is a red line for Egypt and we will not allow it to happen."
– "Displacement means liquidation and the end of the Palestinian cause and there is no legal or moral or ethical ground to evict people from their homeland."
❗️Trump set to reinterpret 1987 missile treaty to sell MQ-9 Reaper drones abroad
US President Donald Trump is anticipated to unilaterally reinterpret a 38-year-old arms control treaty to permit the export of advanced military drones, including Reaper-style UAVs.
This reinterpretation would clear the way for the sale of over 100 MQ-9 drones to Saudi Arabia, which requested them earlier this year, potentially as part of a $142 billion arms deal announced in May. Other US allies in the Pacific and Europe have also shown interest.
By classifying drones as aircraft, similar to the F-16, rather than as missile systems, the US would bypass the 35-nation Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) established in 1987.
Under this new policy, manufacturers such as General Atomics, Kratos, and Anduril would have their large drones treated as "Foreign Military Sales" by the State Department, simplifying their international sale.
(Reuters)
Washington sanctions Palestinian rights groups for aiding ICC in Gaza war crimes probe
The White House is covering for Israeli war crimes amid its operation to ethnically cleanse and demolish Gaza City
❗️Druze leader in Suwayda demands self-determination, thanks US and Israel for support following government massacres
The spiritual leader of the Druze community, Hikmat al-Hijri, reaffirmed his commitment to the right of self-determination, calling it a “sacred right guaranteed by all international conventions” that will not be abandoned “no matter the sacrifices.”
He thanked the United States and President Donald Trump, Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, European coalition countries, as well as Kurds and Alawites in Syria’s coastal region for their support, urging continued backing and the opening of international crossings to lift what he described as a “systematic siege” on the people of Suwayda.
In a statement Thursday, Hijri demanded the unconditional release of abducted Druze, describing the issue as “humanitarian before being political,” and pledged to “continue the struggle until achieving a safe, just, and dignified future.”
He stressed that the Druze community has proven itself “one body acting with organization and solidarity,” capable of managing its own affairs and establishing an independent entity that guarantees dignity “under the umbrella of international law.”
Hijri also called for the return of “usurped” lands and said the Syrian government is covering up violations against Druze villages through “burning, killing, destruction, and the use of internationally prohibited materials.”
His statement coincided with large demonstrations in Suwayda demanding self-determination, where protesters carried Druze and Israeli flags and openly called for independence from Syria.
❗️Israeli army announces it controls around 40% of Gaza City
The Israeli army announced on Thursday that it controls roughly 40 percent of Gaza City.
In a televised briefing, military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin stated, “we hold 40 percent of the territory of Gaza City,” and added that the offensive “will continue to expand and intensify in the coming days.”
❗️Finland and China announce they will join the New York Declaration on Palestine
Finland and China announced today that they are joining the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of a two-state solution.
"The process led by France and Saudi Arabia is the most significant international effort in years to create the conditions for a two-state solution," Finland's foreign minister Elina Valtonen said on X.
“The Palestinian question is at the core of the Middle East issue, and to implement the two-state solution is the only viable solution,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiankun told reporters in Beijing.
⭕️ Barbaric settler attacks in Masafer Yatta, south Hebron hills last night: Around 20 residents of Khirbet Khallet al-Dabaa, among them children and the elderly, were attacked and gravely injured by Jewish settlers.
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❗️Israeli War Minister Israel Katz:
Now the bolt is being pulled from the gates of hell in Gaza.Читать полностью…
The first evacuation notice has been issued to a high-rise "terror building" in Gaza City ahead of a strike.
Once the door opens, it will not close, and the IDF’s operations will intensify—until Hamas murderers and rapists accept Israel’s conditions to end the war, foremost among them the release of all captives and disarmament—or be destroyed.
❗️Israel's Channel 12 citing a security source:
"The [Israeli] Air Force has begun a gradual operation to destroy multi-story buildings in Gaza."
❗️US sanctions three Palestinian human rights groups that petitioned ICC to probe Israel
The US sanctioned three Palestinian human rights organizations that petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel for genocide in Gaza, according to a notice on the US Treasury Department's website on Thursday.
The targeted groups, the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Ramallah-based Al-Haq, were designated under what the Treasury described as ICC-related measures.
In November 2023, the organizations had urged the ICC to probe Israeli airstrikes on heavily populated civilian areas in Gaza, the ongoing siege, and the mass displacement of residents.
Journalist Tareq Abu Azzoum reports on Israeli atrocities targeting civilians, including children, across the Gaza Strip from Thursday night into Friday.
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❗️Qassam Brigades publishes a video of Israeli captive in Gaza, Guy Dalal, where he says the following:
– “We thought we were prisoners of Hamas, but the truth is we are prisoners of Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich.”
– “I am terrified at the thought of an army attack on Gaza. That would mean I will die here along with 8 other captives.”
– “I call on Israelis to protest strongly, create chaos, and cause problems for the government in order to secure our release and stop the war.”
– “Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich lie all the time; they do not want us to return.”
⭕️ Global support being shown for the Global Sumud Flotilla includes backing from Norwegian singer Aurora, a pledge by Italian students to block universities if Israel halts the ships, and strong solidarity in Tunis ahead of its scheduled departure to challenge the siege on Gaza.
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Several children were murdered in Israeli strikes on tents for the displaced in Gaza City this morning.
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Trump and Netanyahu's plan for Gaza: From mass grave to AI-driven "city of the future."
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UK anti-genocide activists face dozens of terrorism charges
After having their homes raided by UK authorities, six supporters of Palestine Action await proceedings under curfew
UPDATE | All Amal and Hezbollah ministers have withdrawn from the ongoing government session to address the Lebanese army's plan to disarm the resistance, which commenced at 3:00 pm.
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❗️Labour MPs urge Starmer not to meet Israeli President
The President of Israel is set to visit London next week, amid protests from Labour MPs who have urged Keir Starmer not to meet the delegation.
Herzog is scheduled to be in the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, marking the first visit by a senior Israeli leader since Foreign Secretary David Lammy met his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on an unannounced trip earlier this spring.
Gaza genocide reaches 700th day as Israel steps up carpet bombing, forced displacement
Israel has killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the last three weeks as it prepares for its massive assault to occupy Gaza City
❗️A senior European Union official stated on Thursday that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, marking the first time a member of the bloc’s commission has made such a claim.
"The genocide in Gaza exposes Europe's failure to act and speak with one voice, even as protests spread across European cities and 14 UN Security Council members call for an immediate ceasefire," Teresa Ribera said during the opening ceremony of the academic year at Sciences Po University in Paris.
❗️Gaza Ministry of Health:
"The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip recorded 3 deaths due to famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the total deaths from malnutrition to 376 martyrs, including 134 children."
"Since the announcement of (IPC), 98 deaths have been recorded, including 19 children."
❗️Photos show some of the destruction caused by Israel in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City.
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❗️Israeli reporter to Army Radio:
"What the war minister Katz announced about starting to strike high-rise buildings in Gaza City, the army has done hundreds of times and there is nothing new in his words."
US officials threaten Lebanon with ‘new Israeli war’ if Hezbollah stays armed: Report
A Lebanese government session will be held in the coming hours to discuss disarmament plans
❗️US warns countries against recognizing Palestinian state, says it will 'create problems'
The US has warned other countries that recognizing a Palestinian state would only create more problems, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.
"We told all these countries, we told them all, we said if you guys do this recognition stuff it's all fake, it's not even real, if you do it you're going to create problems," Rubio said in Quito, where he met with President Daniel Noboa and his Ecuadorean counterpart.
"There's going to be a response, it's going to make it harder to get a ceasefire and it may even trigger theses sorts of actions that you've seen, or at least these attempts at these actions," Rubio added.
⭕️ Trump to rename Pentagon the 'Department of War' in $45m rebrand
US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order renaming the Pentagon the Department of War, reviving the title last used in 1949.
The order authorizes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon officials to use labels such as “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in correspondence and directs Hegseth to pursue steps to make the change permanent.
The move is part of Trump’s broader push to rename institutions and undo changes made after racial justice protests.
Supporters, including Hegseth, say the change reflects a “warrior ethos,” while critics warn it is costly, unnecessary, and politically driven.
Democrats have denounced the effort as a distraction from supporting service members and military families.
Trump has argued “Defense is too defensive,” insisting the new name better fits the Pentagon’s mission.
⭕️ The New York Times has published an article titled "Time Is Running Out for Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah, US Officials Warn," ahead of today's Lebanese government session aimed at discussing the army's plan to disarm the resistance movement. According to the report, the Trump administration is 'warning' Lebanese officials that they do not have much time "before they risk losing US and Gulf Arab financial support, and even a renewed Israeli military campaign."
In response, Lebanese journalist Khalil Nasrallah writes:
The New York Times leaked on the morning of Lebanon’s cabinet session warnings from officials in the 'Trump administration,' saying they were delivered to Lebanese leaders and conveyed that 'time is running out to disarm Hezbollah and there are concerns that the Lebanese government may back down in the face of a possible confrontation with the party.'Читать полностью…
It quoted US officials as saying: the danger for Lebanon in delaying Hezbollah’s disarmament is that Israel may pursue it through a military campaign.
This is part of the increased pressure on those who yielded and approved the issue of “restricting arms,” and it confirms Washington’s intent to place the Lebanese army in a difficult position.
As for the claim that 'Israel' might launch a military campaign to disarm Hezbollah, it can be said that any such campaign is destined to fail, no matter how far it goes, and that raising the stakes at this level would mean a regional reshuffling of the cards, with the confrontation not remaining limited to Lebanon’s resistance.
A military campaign for disarmament would mean an existential war against a sect and against those who believe in the resistance — and the consequences would be grave.
In Gaza, despite everything happening, 'Israel' has not been able to disarm Hamas, nor has Hamas capitulated. Wide Israeli hostile intentions cannot be ruled out, but under the banner of 'disarmament' such a campaign is unlikely.
In 1982, the resistance in all its factions had neither rockets, nor drones, nor other lethal weapons, yet they resisted — and liberation came in 2000.
Germany-based human rights activist Yasemin Acar spoke from aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla as it sails toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s siege and genocide.
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❗️Israel has killed at least 44 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza since dawn today, according to medical and press sources.
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VIDEO | Hamas's Qassam Brigades publishes, as part of the "Moses's Staff" series of operations, scenes of its fighters targeting invading Israeli vehicles in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
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