The Cradle ✔

❗️Pro-Israel Lebanese-born 'activist' joins Israel's diplomatic corps training program A Lebanese-born Christian has become the first to join Israel’s Foreign Ministry cadet training program, joining 36 participants preparing for diplomatic careers. Jonathan Elkhoury left Lebanon with his family in 2001, aged nine. His family included members of the South Lebanon Army (SLA), a Christian-led militia that fought alongside Israeli occupation forces against Hezbollah during Israel’s occupation of south Lebanon between 1985 and 2000. Elkhoury, a prominent pro-Israel advocate in recent years, described his admission to the diplomatic program as an extension of his family’s longstanding relationship with Israel. “For me, this was the most natural step in my life story, a direct continuation of the covenant that my parents signed with Israel in the 70s and 80s with the establishment of the SLA in South Lebanon,” he wrote on X. Selected from nearly 2,000 applicants, the 36 cadets began their six-month training course on Sunday. The program prepares participants for civil service positions at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem and Israeli diplomatic missions abroad. In his social media post, Elkhoury called Israel his home, declaring that his “fate and the fate of Israel are one.”

❗️️️️️️️Eisenkot refuses to join Netanyahu-led government, even at Trump's request Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot has ruled out joining an Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even if US President Donald Trump personally requests it, Israel's public broadcaster KAN reported on 2 November, citing sources familiar with a recent closed-door meeting. “I will not sit in a government led by Netanyahu,” Eisenkot reportedly declared. While expressing willingness to meet Trump if invited, he rejected US interference in Israeli coalition negotiations, saying: “If Trump calls me, I will respect the president and come, but I will insist that this is an internal Israeli matter and will avoid interference.” The remarks follow reports that Trump's representatives have discussed forming a unity government involving Netanyahu and Eisenkot with Israeli officials. According to The Washington Post, Netanyahu told US officials that Eisenkot would be his preferred coalition partner if the war on Iran resumed, believing such a partnership could facilitate a more, so-called 'moderate' government. A Likud official also indicated that Trump wants a stable Israeli government established quickly following the 27 October election. The election produced a fractured Knesset, with Netanyahu's bloc securing 53 seats, opposition parties winning 48, and Arab parties holding 19. Opposition leaders Naftali Bennett, Yair Golan, and Avigdor Liberman have pledged to recommend Eisenkot to President Isaac Herzog to form the next government. Although support from Palestinian parties could theoretically give Eisenkot a 67-seat majority, disagreements over relying on their backing remain a major obstacle. Lieberman has rejected both a coalition dependent on Palestinian parties and a unity government with Netanyahu, leaving Israel's next government uncertain.

VIDEO | Earlier this morning, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinians on their land and stole agricultural equipment in Beit Fajjar, south of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

‼️ An Iranian soldier has been killed and another wounded during an armed confrontation with a hostile group in southeastern Iran, according to Tasnim News Agency. The incident, which Tasnim characterized as a "terrorist attack," targeting Iranian Army Ground Forces, also resulted in the death of one assailant. A second attacker was wounded before fleeing the scene.

❗️French court opens war crimes probe into Israeli airstrike that killed Lebanese artist's parents in Beirut French judicial authorities in Paris have formally launched a war crimes investigation targeting the Israeli military over a lethal late-2024 airstrike on a residential building in Beirut, according to AFP. The opening of the probe follows a criminal lawsuit filed by French-Lebanese visual artist Ali Cherri, whose parents were killed when Israeli forces bombed their home in the Lebanese capital. The complaint accuses the Israeli war ministry and commanding officers of committing war crimes and deliberate attacks against civilians, leveraging France's universal jurisdiction laws that permit domestic courts to prosecute grave violations of international law involving French nationals. Legal representatives for Cherri emphasized that the targeted apartment structure housed non-combatants and contained no military infrastructure, rendering the bombardment a blatant transgression of the Geneva Conventions. Human rights lawyers working on the case noted that the formal opening of the investigation opens the door for French magistrate judges to issue subpoenas, gather forensic evidence, and potentially issue international arrest warrants for implicated Israeli operational commanders.

❗️Qatar remains 'optimistic' of US-Iran deal Qatar said on Tuesday it remained optimistic that the US and Iran could reach an agreement as both sides allegedly consider proposals submitted by mediators, including Doha. “Both parties remain committed to the negotiation process; as we mentioned, we are facilitating the real-time exchange of proposals between them,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told reporters, adding that both sides “are currently reviewing the ideas and proposals we have presented.”

WATCH | IRGC air defenses down 55th US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Strait of Hormuz Iranian air defense units shot down a high-value US MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike drone over the eastern skies of the Strait of Hormuz, according to IRNA. Footage shows the precise moment a surface-to-air missile struck the advanced unmanned aerial vehicle, which was operating under US command in the strategic maritime corridor. The interception was carried out during a night operation by a modern air defense system operated by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, guided under the country's integrated air defense network. IRGC command confirmed that the drone was tracked and engaged immediately upon breaching restricted airspace over the critical energy transit route. This latest engagement brings the total number of US MQ-9 Reaper drones shot down by regional air defense networks to 55, marking a severe operational and financial blow to the US military's aerial surveillance fleet in the region. Iranian defense officials reiterated that any unauthorized military intrusion into the sovereign airspace surrounding the Strait of Hormuz will continue to meet swift, unyielding counter-strikes by the nation's unified defense network.

VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces attack Palestinian farmers during olive harvest near Jerusalem Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of Palestinian farmers and local residents in the town of Beit Anan, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, as they attempted to reach their agricultural lands to harvest their seasonal olive crops. According to local reports, armed Israeli troops confronted the villagers, physically assaulting several residents and forcibly driving them away from their groves. Israeli military authorities and armed settler groups have systematically cordoned off thousands of dunams of farmland during the critical harvest season, deploying tear gas, sound grenades, and physical force to prevent families from collecting their primary agricultural livelihood. Local Palestinian human rights watchdogs report that the military blockade around Beit Anan reflects a broader policy of systematic land confiscation and economic coercion across the occupied West Bank.

❗️️️️️️️Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid: "We are now entering the meeting of the bloc leaders. We are facing a serious and dangerous attempt to undermine the election results—but we must form a government. The conduct of the past few days is just another reminder that we need to remove Netanyahu from the Prime Minister's Office."

❗️ADNOC Gas chief calls for more energy supplies, diversified sources ADNOC Gas CEO Fatema al-Nuaimi said on Tuesday that global gas demand is expected to continue rising over the long term, stressing the need for greater energy supplies and more diversified energy sources. Speaking at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi, Nuaimi also called for greater flexibility and cooperation in managing contracts to accommodate changing market conditions. "Contracts are very rigid, written with terms and conditions, and no matter how you craft ​them, they are not fit for ​the different circumstances that faces us in the market," she said. "So it's important for us to be flexible and work together eventually."

BREAKING | IRGC confirms three commercial tankers exploded after striking naval mines in Strait of Hormuz Three commercial oil tankers exploded and caught fire in the southern portion of the Strait of Hormuz after striking submerged naval mines while attempting to transit the strategic waterway without authorization, according to IRNA. IRGC naval command confirmed that the damaged vessels caught fire along unauthorized maritime routes after ignoring explicit security warnings. According to the IRGC Navy, the targeted tankers had deliberately disabled their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and geolocation tracking equipment to evade oversight while sailing through restricted zones. Iranian naval units confirmed that the crews abandoned the burning vessels near the southern coast of the waterway, reiterating that any commercial shipping attempting to breach maritime blockades or navigate the strategic choke point without prior authorization from Iranian authorities faces direct security enforcement.

VIDEO | IRGC representative inspects coastal 'missile cities' in southern Iran Hojjat al-Islam Abdullah Haji-Sadeghi, the representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), conducted an inspection tour of subterranean IRGC Navy missile facilities along Iran's southern coast, according to reports published by Tasnim News Agency. The visit took the senior official from meetings with families of fallen soldiers directly to the heart of operational readiness bases built deep into the coastal geography. The subterranean complexes—part of Tehran's network of hardened "missile cities"—are engineered to maintain and shield the country's strategic deterrence capabilities from aerial strikes and hostile electronic monitoring. Positioned strategically along the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman coasts, the underground garrisons house advanced anti-ship cruise and ballistic missile batteries, integrated air defense equipment, and fleets of fast attack craft capable of rapid deployment.

❗️South Korea, Turkiye agree to expand nuclear energy & defense cooperation South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkish President Recep Tayyip ‌Erdogan agreed at a summit on Tuesday to expand cooperation in nuclear energy and defense, including on one of Turkiye's biggest power projects, Lee said. The leaders also agreed to work closely in other areas including infrastructure, biotechnology and critical minerals, Lee ​told a joint press conference. Erdogan, who is on his first visit to South Korea since 2018, ​said he and Lee had discussed ways to raise their bilateral trade volume from $11 ⁠billion to their previously agreed $15 billion, as well as updating a free trade agreement between them. "Both countries evaluate cooperation for the construction of nuclear reactors in Sinop is proceeding smoothly," Lee said. In ​an interview with the Yonhap News Agency on Monday, Erdogan said South Korea could become a partner in ​developing the Sinop project. South Korea and Turkiye have ​major defence ⁠industries, and Lee said they would pursue joint defense exports to third countries, without elaborating. "The defense industry is one of the primary areas where our strategic partnership has yielded concrete results," Erdogan said. "During the meeting, we highlighted the ⁠need to ​increase the number of successful joint projects, such as Firtina ​howitzers and the Altay tank." Lee said Turkiye reaffirmed its support for South Korea's policy toward North Korea and the leaders agreed to ​coordinate strategically on peace on the Korean Peninsula.

BREAKING | IRGC air defense units shoot down two US LUCAS drones over Hormozgan province Air defense units operating under the IRGC’s Imam Sajjad Corps shot down two US-made LUCAS drones over the coastal city of Bandar Khamir in Hormozgan province, according to statements released by the Public Relations of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC confirmed that the dual interdictions were carried out through Iran's integrated air defense network as the aircraft breached restricted airspace near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

BREAKING | Israeli warplanes target the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit.

⭕️ Oil prices climbed by more than $1 a barrel on Tuesday after US forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island, raising fears of further escalation and disruptions to energy supplies. By 07:44 GMT, US West Texas Intermediate crude had gained $1.60, or 1.66%, to $98.06 a barrel, while Brent crude futures rose $1.84, or 1.76%, to $106.61 a barrel.

❗️Crushing 97 percent of Lebanese Shia reject normalization with Israel, back resistance weapons, poll finds An overwhelming majority of Lebanese Shia reject disarming the resistance and firmly oppose normalization with Israel, according to a survey conducted by the Consultative Center for Studies and Documentation (CCSD) and reported by Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar. The survey of 1,065 residents across all governorates revealed that 84 percent view Hezbollah's arsenal as a vital instrument of "protection and deterrence as long as the threat exists," while a crushing 97 percent expressed absolute rejection of diplomatic normalization with Israel. Despite severe economic distress—with nearly 80 percent expecting living conditions to deteriorate further—confronting Israeli military aggression remains the primary concern for the community. Over 62 percent of respondents ranked ending the Israeli occupation as their paramount national priority, while nearly 50 percent cited armed resistance as the most effective path to guarantee Lebanon's security and national sovereignty, rejecting western-backed demands for unilateral disarmament. The survey also highlighted deep public distrust toward official political institutions, with 81 percent expressing no confidence in the presidency and 88 percent rejecting the current government's performance. Conversely, 56 percent voiced trust in the Lebanese Army, while 77 percent affirmed they would vote for resistance-backed electoral slates in upcoming parliamentary elections, underscoring the solid popular bedrock supporting Hezbollah's defense strategy amid ongoing Israeli military aggression.

❗️Israeli occupation forces blindfold, handcuff, and arrest Al Jazeera correspondent in Hebron raid Israeli occupation forces raided the home of Al Jazeera correspondent Montaser Nassar in the town of Dura, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, blindfolding, handcuffing, and arresting the journalist during a dawn military operation earlier today. Eyewitness accounts and footage published by Al Jazeera reveal that armed Israeli occupation soldiers forcing Nassar into a military vehicle after storming his family residence. The extrajudicial detention of Nassar comes amid an intensified military crackdown across the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have systematically targeted media personnel reporting on military sieges, land confiscations, and punitive home demolitions. Local human rights groups and Palestinian press organizations condemned the arrest, noting that Israeli occupation forces routinely subject journalists to arbitrary detention, violence, and harassment to silence field coverage of military abuses.

❗️Xi says West Asia must not become arena for great-power rivalry Chinese President Xi Jinping told Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said on Monday that West Asia must not become a theater for great-power competition, stressing Beijing's willingness to work with regional countries to secure lasting peace. "The Middle East Gulf region should not become an arena for ​great-power rivalry and geopolitical conflict. Peace and stability in the region require joint nurturing and protection by all ⁠parties," Xi said, according to China's Foreign Ministry. Beijing remains committed to ending the war and hopes to contribute "wisdom and solutions to ​resolving the region's security dilemmas," Xi added, expressing readiness to strengthen coordination with regional countries, including members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), to restore peace and ensure long-term regional stability and security. A 20-point joint statement issued by both sides called for the restoration of normal and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. It also urged Washington and Tehran to pursue a peaceful resolution, return to the agreement reached in June to end the war, and resume dialogue. Later on Monday, China's Foreign Ministry announced that its West Asia special envoy, Zhai Jun, would travel to Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia this month.

UPDATE | Yemen's Armed Forces reject Saudi claims of targeting Mecca, cite 'fabrication born of defeat' Yemen's Armed Forces issued an official statement denying claims by Saudi authorities regarding an intercepted attack targeting the Mecca region. "We confirm that we did not carry out any operation today toward Saudi territory," the Yemeni military command stated, dismissing Riyadh's allegations of an intercepted drone as a baseless fabrication. The military leadership emphasized that repeated Saudi accusations of strikes near holy sites are politically motivated cover for battlefield setbacks. "The defeats inflicted by our forces on the Saudi enemy have caused it confusion and disorientation, leading it to fabricate events and invent facts," the statement read, adding that "whenever the Saudi enemy receives slaps on the field, it resorts to the slander that our armed forces are targeting Holy Mecca—a falsehood and a lie both old and new." Yemen's Armed Forces further accused the Saudi-led coalition of seeking external military intervention to prop up its position in the ongoing regional war. "The defeats received by the Saudi enemy at the hands of our fighters have driven it to appeal to the Israeli enemy to intervene on its side against our people," the military statement asserted, reiterating that all Yemeni deep-strike operations explicitly target military and strategic assets rather than civilian or religious centers.