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
Is Sisi's security reshuffle actually election strategy? People are scrutinizing moves by the Egyptian government and military for possible connections to the upcoming presidential elections. Egypt
Israel caught between Trump and Gaza suffering Israel recognizes UNRWA’s role in preventing starvation in Gaza, so it cannot openly endorse the Trump administration's apparent desire to cut aid to the organization. Palestine
Impoverished Gaza's economy on verge of total collapse The economic situation in the long-suffering Gaza Strip has become so dire, some economists are calling on ex-pats to pump money into the small enclave. Palestine
Trump's Jerusalem decision opens Israeli expansionism floodgates The Israeli ruling Likud Party has voted on a decision to annex the settlements in the West Bank to Israel, raising the anger of Palestinians who threatened to take the matter to international courts. Palestine
Netanyahu's coalition goes to war — with itself Recent proposed legislation has fractured the governing coalition, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to roll up his sleeves to keep it from falling apart. Israel
Netanyahu, Abbas take off diplomatic masks While Likud ministers freely discuss annexation of parts of the West Bank, the Palestinians are preparing to request UN recognition of Palestine as a state under foreign occupation. Palestine
Russia sizes up Iranian protests Moscow is taking a low-key approach to the demonstrations in Iran, trying not to step on any toes while assessing how the unrest might affect Russia, as well as its efforts in Syria. Russia
Will Gul face Erdogan in 2019 presidential elections? In a recent tweet, former Turkish President Abdullah Gul, using guarded language, criticized the Justice and Development Party, setting off a debate about the 2019 presidential elections and a possible face-off with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
Iraq has much to gain from gas-supply pact with Kuwait A deal to export gas to Kuwait could help Iraq pay off war reparations, take advantage of otherwise wasted flare gas and make inroads with other Gulf countries. Kuwait
IRGC commander says 'former official' may be involved in protests The head of the IRGC hints that a former government official was involved in sparking the protests, with some believing it was a reference to former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran
IRGC media producers open new front against Rouhani The wave of unrest in Iran is not only triggering the mobilization of the security services, but also the regime’s media producers. Iran
Turkish sports in grip of doping scandals, imported athletes During the years of AKP rule, Turkey’s sports scene has seen an avalanche of doping scandals and an increase in “imported” athletes. Turkey
