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
IRGC makes changes in Tehran after Islamic State attacks The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has made two important changes within its units in Tehran. Iran
Europe must adopt long-term vision for trade with Iran European countries are pressuring Iran to change its foreign policy in exchange for profitable trade deals, but this approach may backfire and damage the standing of incumbent moderates in Tehran. Iran
Iraq’s thermal spa poised for facelift Tourists are returning to Mosul's Hammam al-Alil spa, which used to attract thousands of people to its healing waters before the Islamic State took control of the city. Iraq
Hamas-Israel prisoner swap could be close at hand Negotiations between Hamas and Israel on a new prisoner exchange deal supposedly are progressing, which raises questions about what concessions each party is willing to offer for such a deal to materialize. Palestine
Palestinians pinning their hopes on Sisi Egypt wants to advance a regional security coalition that will cooperate with Washington not only in the fight against Iranian-sponsored terror, but also for ending the Israeli occupation. Palestine
Netanyahu offers friendship to those ignoring Palestinians The visits this week to Israel of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame reflect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inclination to reinforce ties with countries that ignore Palestinian suffering. Israel
Hamas turns to Iran Instead of trying to appease tensions with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, head of Hamas' political bureau Ismail Haniyeh makes provocative statements about rapprochement with Iran. Palestine
Israeli Labor’s new leaders must rebrand party With the Labor Party in continuous decline, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not really care who will be its leader. Israel
Qatar becoming another diplomatic debacle for Turkey Experts question the logic behind Ankara’s decision to station troops in Qatar and anger key Arab powers, just as matters are coming to a head in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia
Mob justice reveals anti-Syrian sentiment in Turkey Two violent incidents on the same day have ignited a storm of anti-Syrian rhetoric over Turkish social media, exposing the fear and suspicion still prevalent in the world's largest host of Syrian refugees. Syria
The Kremlin’s contradictory behavior in Syria Russia and Turkey consider establishing a military base in Idlib, Syria, as Moscow encourages the Collective Security Treaty Organization to deploy peacekeepers. Syria
Iraq hopes to bring FIFA soccer back to its stadiums Iraq is hosting showcase soccer games during a three-month "probation" period as it works to convince FIFA that the country has overcome security and organizational problems and is ready to get back in the game. Iraq
