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
Libya’s pleas for Italian help unlikely to solve migration issue The Libyan plea to Italy to help counter the migration flow may not bring in the desired results, as the former colonial power has its own interests to serve during this election year. Libya
Jordanian king’s Ramallah visit more than morale booster Jordanian King Abdullah's two-hour visit to Ramallah was meant to send a number of signals to multiple parties. Palestine
Al Jazeera gains from Israel’s attempts to close it Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Al Jazeera's Jerusalem office will be closed, but this is unlikely to affect the network's work or coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli situation. Legacy: Gulf
Hamas convinced Israel will launch an attack Hamas leaders believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing for a military operation in the Gaza Strip to distract attention from police investigations against him. Palestine
What Russia has to gain from relations with Hamas Russia's recent steps to further its rapprochement with Hamas are connected to its existing alliance with Iran and the overall situation in the region. Palestine
Netanyahu’s show of strength actually reflects weakness As police investigations gain momentum and the noose tightens around Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s neck, the premier finds himself more isolated than ever. Israel
US vows to press ahead with Iraq bomb clearance despite criticism A State Department audit released this week criticizes the agency’s approach to oversight of efforts to clear improvised explosive devices and mines in Iraq. Iraq
Turkish opposition claims Erdogan building private intelligence service Turkey is reeling from an explosive report and subsequent media coverage of an alleged private intelligence service operating under and reporting to the president. Turkey
Israel, Palestinians anticipate return of the generals The Israeli and the Palestinian political systems are preparing for the post-Netanyahu and post-Abbas periods, when security challenges will only increase. Palestine
Not all Kurds on board with Kurdish independence vote Some residents of Sulaimaniyah are fed up with the Iraqi Kurdistan government's poor management of the economy and may take their frustration out in the upcoming independence referendum. Iraq
Iran judiciary in conflict over executions The debate about executions in Iran over drug-related crimes is heating up. Iran
Netanyahu's legacy will haunt Israel In his many years as Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has managed to destroy relations between Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs, and the right and left. Palestine
