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
Is Hamas producing weapons in the West Bank? Israel is concerned by discoveries of large weapons workshops and militant cells over the past year in the West Bank. Palestine
Can Aleppo’s displaced survive in Idlib? Refugees keep flooding into Idlib, Syria, seeking shelter from the civil war but straining the city's resources. Syria
Gazans kick off new year with plans for spring comedy festival A media company in the Gaza Strip has announced Palestine's first comedy festival to be held in March. Palestine
Will Israel really halt civil coordination with Palestinian Authority? In response to UN Resolution 2334, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman issued a decision to halt civil and political coordination with the Palestinian Authority, which the Palestinians perceived as mere media hype. Palestine
Will Iran’s president be barred from running for second term? With only months left of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's first term, speculation rises about the possible disqualification of his expected bid for re-election in May. Iran
Russia pleased with deepening US-Turkey rift over Syria Russia is cleverly filling the void created by the estrangement between the United States and Turkey. Syria
Turkey brandishes Incirlik card to threaten US Turkish officials are hinting at denying US access to the Incirlik Air Base unless Washington halts its support for Syrian Kurds and begins to provide air support for Turkish troops in Syria. Iraq
Who benefits from police probe against Netanyahu? Likud seniors have not openly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the criminal investigation against him, knowing full well that Likud members won’t accept a campaign against the incumbent premier. Israel
How Istanbul nightclub attack was linked to Turkey’s culture war Did the Islamic State target “the apostate Turkish government” or New Year's Eve? The answer is complex. Turkey
Why 2017 doesn’t bode well for Turkey's economy Official figures show the Turkish economy has plunged deeper into recession, as expected fourth-quarter economic numbers may not provide much hope. Turkey
Criticism of Istanbul terror victim exposes Arab-Israeli generation gap The killing of young Palestinian Lian Zaher Nasser in the Istanbul terror attack has exposed a growing rift within Arab-Israeli society between young people seeking a modern way of life and those adhering to a strict religious moral code. Israel
Israel divided over conviction of Hebron IDF shooter The conviction of IDF soldier Elor Azaria for shooting to death a wounded Palestinian assailant sends the message to the radicalizing Israeli society that the IDF will not accept such behavior amid its ranks. Israel
