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
Are Gaza's mosques wasting electricity? In light of the Gaza Strip's electricity crisis, some Gazans believe mosques are largely contributing to the problem with unnecessary electricity consumption. Palestine
Why Tel Aviv's embrace of street art worries some artists While the Tel Aviv municipality usually condemns illegal street art, it sees value in its appearance in poor neighborhoods. Israel
UN Syria envoy looks for talks to resume in July UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said a “critical mass” of agreement between Russia and the United States was still needed before holding a new round of intra-Syrian talks on a political transition. Syria
Are major players shifting strategies in Syria? Russia and the US find themselves in a complex situation in Syria, with plenty of doubt to go around. Syria
Military trials are making a comeback in Egypt A new decree aimed at protecting public land allows civilians to be brought before military courts. Egypt
Iranians shocked after deaths of 19 soldiers in bus accidents Iranian social media users and officials expressed grief and outrage after 19 Iranian soldiers were killed in two separate bus accidents. Iran
Why an Egyptian court is challenging Sisi on islands handover Egypt’s decision to transfer ownership of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia sparked public outrage, now a Cairo court has taken a stance on the issue. Saudi Arabia
Why Iran should come off financial watchdog’s blacklist Given major international banks’ continued reluctance to engage with Iranian counterparts despite the nuclear deal, getting Iran off of the FATF blacklist is a key step in addressing this threat to the nuclear deal. United States
Have Turkey's human rights violations reached point of no return? Prominent Turkish academic lands in solitary confinement for writing about the devastation and human rights violations conducted by the Turkish state in southeast Turkey. Turkey
Should Palestinians recognize Israel as Jewish state? Regarding Israel being known as a "Jewish state," a Palestinian official said Palestine would recognize whatever the international community recognizes at the United Nations, saying, "It's not for us to define Israel’s identity. It’s up to Israel." Palestine
How media blackout on Hebron shooter trial will undermine IDF Following threats against the commander of the soldier who shot a Palestinian assailant on the ground in Hebron, the prosecution has asked that future witnesses testify behind closed doors and that the press not reveal their names. Palestine
Did Israeli opposition head strike secret deal with Palestinians? Palestinian sources say that talks conducted last year between envoys of Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas did not reach a concrete agreement. Palestine
