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 Iran about to cut Muqtada al-Sadr loose? While refraining from breaking with Muqtada al-Sadr and his rebellious followers, Iran is not fully embracing the Iraqi cleric either. Iraq
Why confederation with Palestine is suddenly a hot issue in Amman Discussion of a possible Palestinian-Jordanian confederation is testing the public mood in Jordan and the West Bank as President Mahmoud Abbas' popularity dips further. Palestine
Hamas to execute 13 Gazan criminals as warning to others A crime wave in Gaza is putting pressure on Hamas, which has promised to execute 13 Palestinians sentenced to death as a deterrent. Palestine
Libya's Hifter bets on Tripoli-based government to fight IS first The Government of National Accord's newly created Presidential Guard and Khalifa Hifter’s forces are playing a waiting game when it comes to fighting the Islamic State, which further broadens the divide between the two. Libya
Lebanese web shows get Netflix treatment Despite limited financial resources, the web series genre is growing in popularity in Lebanon, especially among youths. Lebanon
When going gets tough, Israel's professional ministers get out Much like other ministers with no background in politics, Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabbay preferred to cut his losses and resign rather than fight when faced with a political battle. Israel
Has Netanyahu's political credit expired? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lost political and personal credibility by appointing Avigdor Liberman as defense minister and with the state comptroller exposing his past financial dealings. Israel
French oil exec speaks out on prospects of drilling in Lebanon Elias Kassis, vice president of the Middle East and North Africa division of French oil and gas company Total, says 'there are many factors' companies must consider when deciding whether or not to drill exploratory wells. Lebanon
Why this Israeli rights organization will stop submitting complaints to army Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem has decided it will no longer submit complaints to the Israeli army regarding human rights violations by its soldiers. Palestine
Will Palestinian-Jordanian confederation see the light? In light of the stalled peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel, Palestinians are seriously considering the Palestinian-Jordanian confederation option as the only way out of their impasse. Palestine
Is Egyptian government pushing farmers to stop growing wheat? Complicated bureaucracy and shifting subsidizing policies are pushing many Egyptian farmers to give up cultivation of one of the country's most important crops. Egypt
Can US, Turkey keep up appearances in Syria? Russia weighs escalation in Syria; CENTCOM commander seeks to balance Turkey, Syrian Kurds in campaign against Islamic State; return to Sur. Syria
