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 Hamas open to direct negotiations with Israel? Hamas leaders say the movement is not against negotiating directly with Israel, but is wary given Israel's failure to abide by its previous agreements with the Palestinians. Palestine
Hamas, PA face off on financial front Palestinian individuals and institutions are complaining about procedures implemented by the Palestinian Authority to monitor exchange office and bank transactions suspected of aiding Hamas. Palestine
Battle lines shift in northern Syria Eyes are focused on the Syrian-Turkish border after the FSA factions and Syrian Democratic Forces launched their offensives, which points at an imminent final and decisive offensive against IS. Syria
Who is to blame for Beirut’s airport security gap? The Lebanese government rift and lack of a clear and effective policy for dealing with security gaps at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut may lead international and Arab airlines to suspend their flights to Lebanon. Lebanon
How Netanyahu keeps sidelining the Knesset In an interview with Al-Monitor, Zionist Camp leader Merav Michaeli argues that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's consistent attempts to bypass the Knesset are a dangerous game. Israel
When is a terrorist a terrorist? The Israeli public and its leaders are trapped in their thinking about who is a terrorist, and that bodes ill for peace. Palestine
Will Congress rein in US support for Syrian Kurds? Turkey's concerns are starting to gain traction on Capitol Hill. Syria
Fragile Syria cease-fire under strain The United States and Russia are trying to salvage an increasingly fragile Syria cease-fire. Syria
Will Egyptian schools strip religion from curriculum? Egyptian parliamentarian Nadia Henry suggests replacing separate Muslim and Christian religious classes in public schools with one course on values that would combine teachings from both the Quran and the Bible. Egypt
Former Iran negotiator says he would not have signed nuclear deal As obstacles from the remaining US sanctions continue to impede European business with Iran, domestic critics have argued the nuclear deal has had no benefits. Iran
What Hollande’s visit means for Lebanon French President Francois Hollande is expected to visit Lebanon on April 16 as a part of a tour in the Middle East, although the trip will not achieve a breakthrough in the presidential crisis. Saudi Arabia
What Turkey’s new Central Bank chief means for the economy In a first for Turkey, an Islamic finance professional has been named Central Bank governor amid questions of whether the appointment is linked to Erdogan’s war on interest rates. Turkey
