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
Despite AKP sputtering, support grows for Erdogan rival Turkish nationalist Meral Aksener is emerging as a real threat to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as talk swirls about the formation of her new centrist party. Turkey
Israeli defense minister draws red lines with families of missing soldiers The refusal of Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman to follow the line requested by the bereaved Goldin and Shaul families demonstrates his willingness to take the heat. Palestine
Controversial Egyptian professor, presidential candidate says she's being targeted Mona Prince, a professor at Suez University who has expressed her intention to run for president, has been suspended for her choice of curriculum and for conduct the university finds unbecoming. Egypt
New chapter in Iran-Turkey ties could have major impact on Syria While the closer Turkey-Iran alignment on regional issues is not likely to fully mean the same thing in Iraq as in Syria, the broader picture is closer Iran-Turkey-Russia cooperation on the ground. Syria
Iranian FM who opposed US embassy takeover dies Iranian officials and newspapers across the spectrum expressed their condolences on the death of former Foreign Minister Ebrahim Yazdi. Iran
Why is Turkey so invested in rehabilitating Syrian city of al-Bab? After Turkey and allied rebel forces ousted the Islamic State from the northern Syrian city of al-Bab, Ankara is now doubling down on efforts to rebuild infrastructure and boost education in the area. Syria
For Israeli right, there is no occupation The Israeli government's denial of the occupation has led it to intimidating those who dare acknowledge its existence or use the word "occupation." Palestine
Kurdish rivalry undermines peshmerga forces in Kirkuk The Islamic State is losing ground in Iraq and Syria, but south of Kirkuk, the militants are inflicting heavy casualties on peshmerga fighters, who blame needless losses on a lack of support. Iraq
Israel takes stock of Putin’s pull with Iran There’s a flurry of positioning as Iran, Russia, the United States and Israel all want assurances about the future balance of power in Syria. Israel
Ankara silent on Turkish agents allegedly caught in Iraq assassination plot Kurdish militants claim to have captured two Turkish intelligence officers planning to assassinate a senior Kurdistan Workers Party figure, though it's not clear what the group is demanding in exchange for their release. Iraq
Will Zarif, Tillerson meet for session on nuclear deal? A possible Iranian request for a meeting about the nuclear deal would set up the first talk between the Iranian and American foreign ministers since the election of President Donald Trump. United States
Oil swaps bring Iran, Caspian neighbors together Iran’s newfound focus on oil swaps with its northern neighbors could provide strong mutual benefits at an opportune point in time. Regional
