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
Did Gulenists sabotage Ankara’s Kurdish peace process? Long-standing allegations of Gulenists meddling in efforts to settle Turkey’s Kurdish problem appear to have gained more credence after the failed July 15 coup attempt. Turkey
Iran officials defend Russian use of Hamadan air base Many Iranian officials were quick to downplay concerns about the legality of Russian jets using an Iranian airbase to strike targets in Syria. Syria
Coup attempt could cost Turkey more than military might Many observers fear that measures to radically reshape Turkey’s once all-powerful military are already affecting freedom there. Turkey
Difficult negotiations over future of 75,000 Syrians trapped in 'no-man's land' Since the IS June attack on Jordan’s Rukban border with Syria, the Hashemite kingdom has tightened security measures, to the point of banning food and medical aid to the Syrian refugees trapped on the border, prompting negotiations with the UN. Jordan
Will Saudi women break chains of male guardianship? Saudi women recently launched a hashtag calling for an end to male guardianship, which has been behind many of the physical and moral violations they face in Saudi society. Saudi Arabia
Arab Jerusalemites priced out of own neighborhoods Israel's policy of restricting Palestinian growth while encouraging Israelis to settle in Jerusalem’s Palestinian neighborhoods has always made it hard for the city's Arab population to find decent and affordable homes, and things are worse than ever. Israel
Why Hezbollah won't open all-out front against Israel Israel's arrest of activists recruited by Hezbollah through Facebook reflects the organization's current strategy of encouraging attacks in Israel orchestrated from afar. Israel
Can release of Palestinians' bodies quell tensions? Israel has decided to release the bodies of deceased Palestinian assailants to their families to avoid an escalation of already heightened tensions. Palestine
Charity sets up free shops on Baghdad walls A group of Iraqi activists has created a project to help the poor in Iraq, and the idea, though unconventional for the region, is catching on. Iraq
US says Russian use of Iran base unhelpful but won’t derail Syria talks The United States said Russia’s use of an Iranian air base to fly long-range bombers to conduct airstrikes in Syria was unhelpful, but would not derail negotiations to reach a deal on Syria. Russia
Egypt’s Dar al-Kiswah — a monument turned into a dump After Egypt stopped producing the Kaaba’s kiswah in 1961, the centuries-old site of production now lies in a state of utter neglect amid calls for renovation by nearby residents and experts. Saudi Arabia
Iran official: Moscow and Tehran are in 'strategic cooperation' The secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council said that Russia’s use of Iran’s air base is a sign of further cooperation rather than an exceptional situation. Iraq
