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
Hamas leader: We made Gaza security oasis In an interview with Al-Monitor, Ziad al-Zaza, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, addressed several internal and foreign issues, including Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Israel and Palestinian legislative elections. Palestine
Will Russia adopt 'first to strike' policy in Syria? Bombings in Tartus and Jableh have led Russia to reassess the risks it faces in Syria. Lebanon
Back home after clashes, Kurds in Turkey's Sur find only debris Some look for their homes, others for the bodies of relatives as Kurdish civilians are finally allowed to return to devastated neighborhoods in Diyarbakir after months of clashes between Kurdish militants and the security forces. Turkey
How Turkey plans to boost home sales to foreigners Preparations are underway to offer work permits in addition to residency to buyers of real estate in Turkey, and citizenship could be next on the table. Turkey
Baghdad on high alert following recent bombings Observers anticipate that additional explosions will take place in Baghdad, given the presence of sleeper cells within the capital’s borders. Iraq
Is the Islamic State fueling Shiite infighting in Iraq? The Islamic State has adopted a new strategy that consists of provoking Shiite infighting, in a bid to distract attention of the Shiite majority government and Shiite opposition from liberating the remaining areas controlled by IS. Iraq
'Utter failure' prompts political retirement of Palestinian official In an interview with Al-Monitor, member of the PFLP Central Committee Zulfikar Suergo says that the Palestinian leadership has failed to put an end to the people's dire situation. Palestine
Why some Israelis give low marks to education minister's math plan Not all Israeli students and educators are impressed with Education Minister Naftali Bennett's plan to increase the number of students taking advanced mathematics exams. Israel
How Israeli soldiers became 'children of the nation' More Israelis are determined to protect IDF soldiers' lives at any cost, an attitude that has had major repercussions for Israeli military operations despite the better judgment of its commanders. Israel
Two-time presidential candidate says Egypt losing its role in region In an interview with Al-Monitor, Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential candidate and head of the Egyptian Popular Current, speaks about his decision to stage a sit-in and his views on the political situation in the country. Saudi Arabia
Has Iran-Saudi cyberwar already started? After an Iranian website was hacked, some Iranian websites are speculating as to whether or not an Iranian-Saudi cyberwar has begun. Saudi Arabia
