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
Why Netanyahu's Africa visit is worth the cost Those criticizing the cost of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Africa are missing the point; it could open doors to African markets and strengthen Israel both economically and diplomatically. Israel
Ankara’s IS militants return home In one of the Islamic State’s main recruitment grounds in Turkey, about half of the recruits have returned home, but experts warn that the organization’s appeal is far from over. Syria
Does Iran need to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization? The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has not moved to bring in Iran, though the international sanctions the organization said precluded it have been lifted. Russia
Why is Hamas giving away government-owned land? While Hamas has begun distributing government-owned land as payment to employees of its disputed government, challenges about the project's legitimacy continue. Palestine
What's behind Syrian regime's latest claims on Aleppo strikes? While the Syrian regime claims that its airstrikes are carried out against Jabhat al-Nusra’s military positions, the reality on the ground shows that it is targeting residential neighborhoods. Syria
How new alliance among Iraq's Kurds might actually deepen divisions The recently formed alliance between Gorran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan has raised the ire of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, deepening divisions in Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Quartet's latest edition of Israel-Palestine report offers nothing new The Quartet report on the obstacles before the two-state solution is a compilation of old findings, and it is easy for Israel's prime minister to dismiss its recycled condemnations. Palestine
How religious holidays are uniting Iraqi Muslims and Christians Iraqi Muslims celebrated Christmas to show solidarity with Christians last year, while the Chaldean Catholic Church announced a day of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan this year to show that all Iraqis are united. Iraq
Top Egypt Islamist says he 'fully supports' reconciliation with state Abboud el-Zumar, a prominent leader in Egypt's Gamaa Islamiya, told Al-Monitor in an interview that he supports a full reconciliation with the state and that the Brotherhood is not fit to negotiate on behalf of Islamists. Egypt
Will upcoming local elections unite Palestinians, or divide them even further? The Palestinian Authority has announced a date for local elections to be held in Gaza and the West Bank, but Hamas is reluctant to sign onto an electoral process it suspects will marginalize it. Palestine
Israel faces off against Facebook Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan has claimed that some of the blood in Israel's streets is on Facebook's hands as Knesset members demand better monitoring. Palestine
New Islamic bank to set up shop in West Bank, Gaza The founders of Palestine's brand-new Al-Safa Islamic Bank are working to open two branches in the West Bank and Gaza, where commercial banks vastly outnumber Islamic ones despite the wide demand for them. Palestine
