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
Iran to export gas to Iraq soon, says Iranian official After the nuclear deal, Iran will need to deepen economic ties with Iraq, including the Kurdish Regional Government. Iraq
Violence in Turkey could push US to pick sides in Turkey, PKK battle The escalation of violence in Turkey is reaching such a magnitude that Turkey may not be an effective coalition partner against Washington’s priority, the Islamic State. Iraq
Aleppo's businessmen blame Turks for damaged factories, looted equipment While the large industrial complexes in northern Syria were once reminders of the strong economic ties between Ankara and Damascus, Aleppo's businessmen now hold Turkey responsible for the destruction and looting of their factories. Syria
Have sexism, attacking women become part of Turkish right's political strategy? Male chauvinism dominates mainstream media’s reactions to outspoken socialist female politicians and activists. Turkey
Will Abbas sever ties with Hamas for good? Tensions between Fatah and Hamas are escalating in light of recent accusations against President Mahmoud Abbas of monopolizing the decision-making process and making one-sided decisions. Palestine
Iraqi Christians take up arms to regain lost land Iraq’s Christians are taking up arms to reclaim land now controlled by the Islamic State, but some worry their efforts could worsen the sectarian divide and further complicate the struggle against the terror group. Iraq
Egyptians left in dark about secret abduction cases Secret abduction has been on the rise in Egypt since the June 30 Revolution, and families of the abducted are unable to find any information about their relatives. Egypt
Mystery surrounds Egyptian-Israeli trade ties Egyptian economic experts oppose an unconfirmed report in the Israeli paper Maariv that an Israeli factory might open in Egypt. Egypt
Herzog: Abbas worries about 'losing control' of West Bank Israeli opposition chair Isaac Herzog told Al-Monitor that he urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to join the reported contacts between Israel and Hamas and work to create a larger package deal with Israel before he leaves politics. Palestine
Possibility of former IDF Chief of Staff Ashkenazi entering politics has the Israeli public cheering Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid, Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are well aware that former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi is extremely popular, which could encourage him to enter politics. Israel
Iran to Russia: Where are those missiles you promised us? Following Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip to Moscow, Iranian media has been abuzz with talk about the long-awaited delivery of a long-rang S-300 missile defense system, which is still being held up by Russia. Russia
Turkish, Iranian media trade barbs Analysts say angry reports and comments in the pro-government media of both sides reflect official thinking, but expect the legacy of maintaining relatively good ties between the two countries to prevail. Yemen
