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
Egyptian construction threatens to obliterate Rafah's beaches Aerial photos show that Rafah's beaches have lost 12 meters in the last four years, the result of marine construction on the Egyptian side. Palestine
Who's behind vote to label Muslim Brotherhood a terror group? After the House Judiciary panel voted along party lines to force a State Department ruling, opinions remain split over the true motivation behind the step. Saudi Arabia
Did Egypt flood tunnels at Israel's request? Israel's energy minister sparked anger with statements he reportedly made about security cooperation between Cairo and Tel Aviv. Palestine
Wary voters await elections in Iran Conservatives are suspicious of foreign influences as Iran prepares to hold key elections. Iran
Khamenei warns of subtle US influence on elections Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said in a speech that while the United States has been quiet on the Iranian elections, Iranians must be wary of attempts to polarize their society. Iran
Why one IDF soldier continues to cause controversy in Egypt The case of Dina Ovadia, an Egyptian woman from Alexandria who was stripped of her citizenship after moving to Israel and joining the IDF, has returned to the headlines in Egypt. Egypt
How one Kurdish doctor is helping to treat victims of IS A German psychologist tells Al-Monitor about his work with rape victims of the Islamic State, lauding their strength and resilience. Iraq
What fading oil fortunes means for Turkey's businesses Turkish businesspeople are losing sleep over oil-producing states' deferrals of payments to international contractors and the possible loss of mega projects. Legacy: Gulf
Will the Syrian truce survive? As Syrian regime forces recaptured Atman, gaining control of almost all of the cities bordering the critical old international Damascus-Daraa road, talks of a truce emerged. Syria
Why Israeli politicians are turning against the IDF Senior IDF officers disagree with right-wing politicians, who call for strong measures against Palestinians. Palestine
Why donor countries are giving less to the Palestinians The international community has significantly reduced financial aid to the Palestinian Authority as people lose confidence in the peace process. Palestine
Why Israelis and Palestinians demonize each other Israeli senior politicians and officials are demonizing the enemy by accusing Palestinian society of sanctifying death instead of cherishing life. Palestine
