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
Syrians divided by Turkish offensive on Afrin Some Syrians support Turkey's military operation in Afrin as it could provide an opportunity for them to return home, but others fear Turkey's intentions are far from noble. Originals
Will Iran’s military really divest from business holdings? Despite its complex challenges, the Iranian military’s planned divestment from the economy holds the potential for more transparency and accountability. Iran
Hostility toward Syrians could explode in Turkey, ICG warns A new report by the International Crisis Group warns that tension and violence involving Syrian refugees in Turkey is underdocumented and growing worse. Syria
The case for net neutrality in Iran The further undermining of net neutrality in Iran draws mixed responses among Iranians. Iran
Iran hopeful about Europe remaining in nuclear deal Iran’s deputy foreign minister has expressed satisfaction with Europe's resistance to US pressures to kill the nuclear deal. United States
More skyscrapers pop up along Israeli skyline Israeli urban designers differ on whether condominium towers are the solution for land shortage or they create new problems, such as disconnect with street life. Israel
Olive Branch wins Erdogan friends at home, but risks standoff with US Despite the success of Ankara's Syrian military operation in closing Turkish ranks around him, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has raised the possibility of a military confrontation between Turkey and the United States. Syria
Palestinians pay homage to poet Fadwa Tuqan Palestinians are commemorating the centenary of their great poet Fadwa Tuqan, a fighter for her country and her rights as a woman. Palestine
Jordan, Israel resume frosty relations It appears that Jordan has quietly accepted Israel’s apology for the killing of two Jordanians by an Israeli Embassy guard in Amman without the perpetrator being put on trial. Palestine
Palestinians wary of Israeli survey at Gaza border crossing The Israeli army has developed a survey for Palestinian travelers to fill out at the Erez crossing, in what some Palestinians argue is aimed at gathering intelligence information about the situation in Gaza. Palestine
Urban agriculture spreads in Gaza Local associations in Gaza are promoting urban and peri-urban agriculture to help marginalized families in light of the water crisis and food insecurity. Palestine
Israel moves forward with gradual annexation of West Bank The latest proposal to apply Israeli law on West Bank higher education institutions is part of the settlers’ strategy to gradually annex Palestinian lands. Palestine
