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
What does Khamenei think of Saudi Embassy attacks? Iranian officials have condemned the attack on Saudi Arabia's embassy. Saudi Arabia
On its 51st anniversary, is Fatah facing identity crisis? The leading Palestinian movement is facing an internal challenge in terms of its identity and how to bring about national liberation. Palestine
Five reasons so many Iranians are rushing to run for office In Iran, the number of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections has ballooned compared with the previous round of polls, but why? Iran
Netanyahu's strategy of hopelessness Instead of reassuring the public after the recent Tel Aviv shooting, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expertly stoked the public's fears. Israel
Saudi executions signal royal worries Saudi Arabia's execution of 47 people, including a poplar Shiite cleric, point to the royal family's growing concerns about the kingdom's stability. Saudi Arabia
Local photographers provide snapshot of life in Gaza Palestinian photographers reach world-class status for depicting the daily lives of Gazans and the beauty of Gaza’s nature, unlike the often-seen images of destruction. Palestine
Is Turkey heading to partition? Turkey is losing Kurdish minds and hearts at a dramatic pace — the first outcome of the war raging in the Kurdish movement’s urban strongholds amid unprecedented destruction and civilian deaths. Turkey
Is Rojava’s model the awaited solution for Syrian crisis? In an interview with Al-Monitor, Eldar Khalil, member of the governing body for the TEV-DEM, gives an overview of the Kurds’ situation in the Rojava region, a de facto autonomous region of Syria. Iraq
HDP leader says Ankara has 'neither the power nor means' to eliminate Kurdish movement In an interview with Al-Monitor, Selahattin Demirtas, Turkey’s top Kurdish politician, claims the Kurds in the Middle East are on an irreversible path “toward liberation and sovereignty building.” Syria
Who is sending Iraqi fighters to Syria? Mystery continues to surround the flow of Iraqi Shiite fighters combating the Islamic State in Syria alongside the Syrian regime, while the Popular Mobilization Units denies involvement. Iraq
Israeli Arabs fear stigmatization following Tel Aviv shooting The great majority of Israeli Arabs condemns and rejects terror acts, such as the shooting on Friday at a Tel Aviv pub, but this does not prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from blaming them all. Palestine
Shin Bet uncovers Jewish extremist plot to destroy state A lengthy investigation by the Shin Bet and Israeli Police has uncovered a plot to destroy the State of Israel and led to the indictment of two "hilltop youth" suspects in the murder of the Dawabsha family. Israel
