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
Centuries-old Kufa mosque still holds religious, political significance For the past 1,300 years, the Great Mosque of Kufa has served as a religious and political platform in Iraq, drawing the interest of both clerics and politicians. Iraq
Fallujah residents fear abuse from Popular Mobilization Units liberators As Iraqi forces retake Fallujah, reports and videos have surfaced of Iraq's mostly Shiite Popular Mobilization Units committing human rights violations and abusing citizens. Iraq
Gaza lighthouse guides fishermen, sends message A lighthouse in Gaza was recently inaugurated, inspiring hope for Gazans to open up to the world. Palestine
Will Iraq's wetlands join World Heritage List? In order to better protect them, the Iraqi government is pressing for the inclusion of Iraq's wetlands as well as the Ur, Eridu and Uruk archaeological sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Iraq
Israeli defense minister moves to muzzle Palestinian voices for peace Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has revoked the entry permit of Mohammed Madani, who was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to organize dialogues with Israelis to promote peace. Palestine
Is one of Iran's top diplomats a member of Quds Force? A commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the country's deputy foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi is a member of the IRGC's elite Quds Force. Iran
Will Abbas intervene to save Nablus from mayhem? The situation in the streets of Nablus has become very dangerous in light of the chaos and security unrest, while Palestinian officials exploit the situation to settle political scores. Palestine
Will new Palestinian agency be enough to stop violence against women? As more cases of violence against women come to light in the West Bank, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs will be launching a special agency to follow up on such instances and garner statistics to raise public awareness about this phenomenon. Palestine
Activists seek to rein in horse mistreatment on unique Turkish island Mounting criticism over mistreatment of horses could end the carriage trade on Buyukada, a picturesque island near Istanbul that remains off limits to motor vehicles. Turkey
Near Damascus, watch out for missiles, shelling and speeding tickets In a visit to Damascus, Al-Monitor spoke with Syrian officials about the latest developments happening in Syria. Syria
Enforcement of Ramadan laws varies among Palestinian cities Differing enforcement of regulations concerning violating the sanctity of the holy month of Ramadan is a point of potential polarization. Palestine
Former Egypt FM says US election outcome won't dictate US-Arab ties In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy says that "the future of Arab-American affairs is 70% controlled by the Arab world and 30% in the hands of the United States," and hence does not depend on the next US president. Saudi Arabia
