The Takeaway: Would Hamas complicate US plans for reset with Palestinians? Also: the back story on the spat between Israel and Jordan; Gulf post-COVID economic trends; Turkey’s Kurds; Egypt and Somalia; and more! Originals
Egypt sentences activist Sanaa Seif to 18 months in prison Seif, who had been in pretrial detention since June, was convicted Wednesday of spreading false news and misusing social media. Egypt
Ukraine rejects Iran's final report on downed passenger plane The Iranian government said last year's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was the result of a human error. Iran
Palestinians receive first batch of vaccines through COVAX More than 60,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palestine
Kirkuk not as liberated from IS as claimed Because of the crisis between Erbil and Baghdad over Kurdish independence, increased attacks by the Islamic State in the Kirkuk province have gone generally unnoticed by the government. Iraq
Israel builds new wall at Lebanon’s southern border Tension is rising on the Lebanese southern border, where Israel has started building a wall, despite UNIFIL’s reassurances that the situation there is under control. Israel
Israeli justice minister's stealthy plan to annex the West Bank Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked is trying to erase the legal separation between Israeli settlers and Palestinians on the West Bank, which would amount to annexation of the occupied territory. Palestine
Unpaid Gaza employees lash out at Qatari ambassador Some hospital maintenance workers who haven't been paid in months expressed their frustration while the Qatari ambassador was visiting the Gaza Strip. Qatar
Gazans sneaking into Israel dodge both IDF, Hamas forces The Palestinian security forces in Gaza are just as tough as the Israelis on the youths who try to cross the border looking for work. Palestine
Israeli right's battle over Netanyahu successor remains behind the scenes With polls showing that the public supports Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the investigations, his own party members are forced to do the same. Israel
Turkey props up industrial zone in Syria's al-Bab Turkey is helping set up a commercial hub in northern Syria to boost economic development in areas liberated from the Islamic State. Syria
Egyptian men's rights activist sees oppression in female empowerment In a backlash against the women's movement in Egypt, one attorney is demanding the formation of a National Council for Men. Egypt
Exhibition pays tribute to prolific Lebanese cartoonist The Sursock Museum in Beirut is displaying thousands of cartoons by Pierre Sadek, who inspired many Lebanese satirists and created space for the next generation. Lebanon
Satterfield’s shuttle diplomacy may offer diplomatic opening for Syria Is there more to the talks about Block 9? Success of UN Security Council cease-fire depends on definition of "terrorist." Israel
KRG intelligence chief: Baghdad must give us our rights Masrour Barzani, the son of former Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, talks about the Kurds' thinking behind the Sept. 25 independence referendum and about what may happen next. Iraq
Iranian interference in Iraqi election stirs anger among Iraqis With the upcoming Iraqi elections in May, Iranians have stepped up their actions to manage their alliances in Iraq to ensure the continuity of their influence. Iraq
