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
Israeli chefs get creative during Passover Israeli chefs recount to Al-Monitor how Passover restrictions force them to become more innovative than ever before in their cooking and baking. Israel
How religious female soldiers are transforming the IDF Female commanders of combat units in the Israel Defense Forces, especially religious women, are provoking apprehension among religious Zionist leaders in Israel. Israel
Documentary sews Palestinian narrative through women's eyes “Stitching Palestine,” a documentary film, adopts a motif of traditional Palestinian embroidery to focus on the lives of 12 Palestinian women who are all living in exile, and what Palestine means to them. Palestine
How Palestinian female inmates are getting a second chance The General Directorate for Correction and Rehabilitation Centers in the Gaza Strip held a two-day exhibition to display and sell handicrafts and handmade products made by female inmates. Palestine
How Syrian opposition is making up for teacher shortage The teacher training institute in the opposition-controlled city of Marea in Aleppo’s northern countryside has succeeded in graduating a class of teachers to work in schools to cover for the losses the education sector suffered because of the shelling. Syria
Why Palestinians have lost faith in Iran A recent survey showed that the majority of Palestinians are opposed to Iran and its policies in the region despite Tehran's support for the Palestinian cause. Palestine
Three deaths that will likely set back Rouhani Having lost three of his main supporters among the clergy in the past year, Iran’s president faces an even harder battle for a second term. Iran
Could an offshore seaport be Gaza's salvation? Israeli Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz continues to promote his idea of an artificial island and port off the Gaza coast and recently pitched it to President Donald Trump’s envoy. Palestine
Is freedom of expression on the rise in Saudi Arabia? The decision to list 5% of Saudi Aramco’s shares has raised wide criticism from the Saudi public while sheding light on the issue of freedom of expression and disapproval in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Why was deal to evacuate Syrian towns brokered by Qatar and Iran? A deal brokered by Qatar and Iran that ignores Turkey and Russia — the largest respective sponsors of the opposition and the regime in Syria — threatens to derail broader peace talks aimed at ending the tragic civil war. Qatar
Proof of poison gas in Syria massacre could reshape war Now that autopsies have revealed evidence that chemical weapons were used in the attack in Idlib, calls are louder than ever for action against the Syrian regime and the United States could well respond with force. Syria
Why did Erdogan sign emergency decree on laser hair removal? In a last ditch effort to mobilize the "yes" vote for the April 16 referendum, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan resorts to unconventional methods, shocking Islamists and seculars in Turkey. Turkey
