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
Palestinians in Jordan outraged over new work permit requirements Jordan’s decision to require work permits for Palestinians holding temporary passports on its territory will further add to their economic and social suffering. Palestine
Syrian opposition finally agrees to join Geneva talks The Syrian opposition said Feb. 1 it would join the Syria peace talks in Geneva to press for an end to sieges and the shelling of civilians. Legacy: Gulf
Iran rewards IRGC leaders who captured US sailors Commanders of the IRGC received Iran's highest military medal for the detention of 10 US sailors. Iran
Turkey’s urban war leaves thousands of Kurds without homes Expanding clashes in Turkey’s largest Kurdish-populated city have triggered a fresh civilian exodus, with many residents fleeing their homes with only the clothes on their backs. Syria
Turkish products break Egyptian monopoly over Gazan markets Strengthening diplomatic ties between Turkey and Hamas means Turkish products have been flooding Gazan markets, leading some to believe the blockade on the Gaza Strip could be lifted. Palestine
How the Islamic State is still seeping through Syria-Turkey border Despite new security measures, including walls, Islamic State traffic through the Turkey-Syria border has not stopped. Syria
Turkey plans shiny new HQ for shadowy intelligence operations Senior Turkish intelligence officers say the $140 million budgeted for their agency's new headquarters reveals there is more going on than meets the eye. Turkey
Is the US a threat to Israel? US efforts to crack the Israeli drone encryption system have caused some to question whether or not America is still an ally of Israel. Israel
How Bibi was blindsided by French ultimatum on Palestinian state Israel issued a jumbled response to the ultimatum by France to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, but it is a warning that should not be taken lightly. Palestine
Lebanon holds breath for deal to export trash abroad Although officials have announced that Lebanon will export its waste as a solution to the garbage crisis plaguing the country since July, the government has yet to sign contracts with any foreign companies. Lebanon
How one messaging app is changing Iranian media While news shared on Telegram allows Iranians to bypass restrictions and censorship faced by licensed Iranian media outlets, the impact of the smartphone app may not be entirely positive for Iranian society. Iran
Hezbollah's pick for president of Lebanon It seems Hezbollah is not giving up on Christian parliament member Michel Aoun’s candidacy for the Lebanese presidential elections, especially since Aoun now has the support of another major Christian leader in Lebanon, Samir Geagea. Saudi Arabia
