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
Egypt keen on protecting Qatari investments Egypt recently severed ties with Qatar, but believes the countries' economic relationship should stay above the fray. Qatar
Dahlan preps for return to Gaza Former Fatah senior official Mohammed Dahlan is venerated now in the Gaza Strip as the man who closed the deal with Egypt to renew electricity flow. Palestine
Anti-Semitism abroad serves Netanyahu's plan In the battle against anti-Semitism in Europe, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sides with the Hungarian government instead of siding with Hungarian Jews. Israel
Jordan sees big gains in south Syria cease-fire The cease-fire brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan for southern Syria seems to be holding, for now. Jordan
Egypt, Dahlan foiling Abbas' plot against Hamas in Gaza Strip Senior Fatah leaders have lashed out at Egypt over deals reached with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ archrival Mohammed Dahlan to improve conditions in Gaza, even as Abbas is trying to pressure Hamas there. Palestine
New Iranian jobs plan faces major obstacles The Rouhani administration has unveiled a comprehensive employment plan in a bid to realize the president’s campaign promises, but it is unclear whether the envisioned job creation will materialize given the obstacles that remain unaddressed. Iran
Iran's parliament criticizes remaining US sanctions A report by Iran’s parliament says that the United States has made transactions between Iranian and large European banks challenging, impacting the effects of the nuclear deal. United States
Egypt fails to make headway as it navigates Nile River talks In the wake of a failed attempt by the Nile Basin states to reach an agreement, Al-Monitor speaks with a former Egyptian Foreign Ministry official on what comes next. Egypt
Lebanese entrepreneurs discover an appetite for snails Snails, which are part of Lebanon’s culinary tradition, are juicy business for the country’s entrepreneurs. Lebanon
Liberated Mosul residents take moment to breathe As the Iraqi forces declare the total liberation of Mosul, its residents rediscover the pleasures of freedom, for a moment forgetting about the past and the challenges ahead. Iraq
Trump and Macron seek common ground on Syria, terrorism Despite tensions over the Paris climate change accord, the two leaders have common interests in the Middle East. Syria
House rejects Trump’s Middle East aid cuts The House spending bill calls for far more assistance to North Africa. Egypt
