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
Will new Turkish fact-checking site be able to hold politicians accountable? Turkey’s first and only political fact-checking website aims to make political actors in Turkey accountable for their statements. Turkey
Turkey’s nationalist 'Gray Wolves' enter Syrian fray Turkish ultranationalists have joined the fight in Syria as what some observers view as their government's secret weapon, one that could backfire as the group mingles with Islamists along with the Turkmens they're defending. Syria
Qatar's precarious position between Saudi Arabia, Iran The recent decline in Saudi-Iranian relations has put GCC members in a bind, in particular Qatar, which for years has tried to maintain diplomatic and economic ties with Iran. Saudi Arabia
UN arms Libyan women with gun-safety knowledge Women are inordinately affected by gun violence in Libya, but UN officials hope to train them not only in firearm safety, but also to use their matriarchal positions to influence their families. Libya
Will Saudi's cut to trade with Iran really matter? Saudi Arabia’s cutting of commercial ties with Iran appears to be having a far smaller impact than Riyadh’s parallel severing of diplomatic relations with Tehran. Saudi Arabia
'Tunnel arms race' heating up Hamas is in the midst of rebuilding its tunnel network under Gaza and into Israel, while the IDF has begun work to neutralize the threat. Palestine
Diyala attacks follow old Zarqawi terror strategy The Diyala attacks in January may have been intended to stir up a Sunni-Shiite war to drive Sunnis into the Islamic State’s arms. Iraq
Zionist Camp sets sights on settler vote In an interview with Al-Monitor, Zionist Camp Knesset member Yoel Hasson explained why he thinks the Zionist Camp can win votes in the large settlement blocs. Palestine
Why some Gazan professors are selling their homes The financial crisis plaguing the Islamic University in the Gaza Strip forced some of its employees to seek the help of charitable institutions. Palestine
New poll says Iranians like Zarif, dislike US A University of Maryland telephone survey of Iranians finds they like their president and foreign minister and are hopeful that the nuclear deal will provide economic rewards. Syria
Obama's Israeli-Palestinian failure With one year left in office, President Barack Obama should hurry up and join the French in promoting an international conference on a two-state solution. Palestine
Will 'girl zones' help Egyptian women? A controversial new project started by young people aims to establish women-only zones in rural areas of Egypt to provide recreational and educational opportunities. Egypt
