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
Senate takes hard-line tack on Iran sanctions Hawkish Republicans introduced their own bills as bipartisan alternative struggles to materialize. Congress
Tough days for foreigners in Turkey Five bomb attacks in major cities over the past six months have made life difficult for foreigners living in Turkey. Turkey
Istanbul residents retreat from public spaces following latest attack In the wake of the March 19 suicide attack in Istanbul, Turks are questioning why security vulnerabilities increase as police visibility and power increase. Turkey
Will Iran be able to win over Britain when it comes to banking sanctions? To put pressure on the United States to uphold its commitments to facilitate the implementation of sanctions relief, it appears that the Iranians are now turning to Britain. Iran
What Russia's Syria shift means for Moscow-Riyadh ties Russia’s likely gradual and partial military withdrawal from Syria may minimize one of the irritants in the Russian-Saudi relationship, but it won’t address their fundamental differences. Saudi Arabia
Leader of Egypt's Kefaya movement laments state of human rights George Isaac, founder of the Kefaya movement and a member of the National Council for Human Rights, speaks to Al-Monitor about human rights in Egypt and his views on reform. Egypt
What it's like to be a foreign journalist in Turkey Most foreign journalists in Turkey are reminded of the government’s power while trying to renew residency permits and press cards. Turkey
Palestinian farmers caught in political tug of war After some West Bank farmers were barred from bringing their goods into Jerusalem, it seems the Palestinian conflict is moving more to the economic sphere than to the political one. Palestine
Are Israel's new travel measures for Gazans a blessing or a curse? Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip are hoping Israel's decision to ease travel procedures could be a light at the end of the tunnel. Palestine
Raqqa brigade continues to raise flag of Syrian revolution Abu Issa, commander of Liwa Thuwar al-Raqqa, spoke to Al-Monitor about the ongoing fight against the Islamic State and being committed to the principles of the Syrian revolution. Syria
Will short-term solution help Lebanon solve trash crisis? After drowning in piles of trash for more than eight months, Lebanon is implementing a landfill plan rejected by civil movements amid concerns of the environmental, health and economic damages ensuing from this crisis. Lebanon
What is Harakat al-Sabireen and why is Hamas trying to block their expansion? Attention shifted to Al-Sabireen Movement in Gaza after an explosion targeted its secretary-general’s house, raising questions about the real goals of this movement that had defected from the Islamic Jihad. Palestine
