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
For one Palestinian, no money can compensate for lost land A Palestinian man is celebrating his victory in Israel's Supreme Court after a three-decade battle for land he still can't use — and won't sell. Palestine
Sisi dusts off uniform for Sinai visit President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s trip to North Sinai wearing his military uniform was viewed as support for the armed forces by some in Egypt, but others saw the outfit as a symbol of military rule. Egypt
Cairo, Riyadh pledge cooperation as each weighs nuclear deal Predictably, though neither Egypt nor Saudi Arabia has been enthusiastic in its response to the Iranian nuclear deal, Egypt has so far been vaguely more welcoming. Saudi Arabia
American Palestinians speak out about denied entry to Israel American Palestinians traveling to Israel's Ben Gurion Airport are increasingly detained and sent back, and told they should contact the Palestinian Authority to have their Palestinian IDs revoked, which would allow them entry to Israel. Palestine
Ultra-Orthodox grapple over response to parade attack The majority of Israel's ultra-Orthodox community appears to hold Yishai Schlissel alone responsible for the death of Shira Banki, who was stabbed at a gay pride parade, claiming it is not the fault of his religion. Israel
Has Israel returned to days of Jewish Underground? Ex-Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter tells Al-Monitor that despite the tragic consequences of the attack in Douma, this current manifestation of Jewish terrorism is not as well armed or well organized as that of the 1980s at the time of the Jewish Underground. Palestine
Israel lacks 'day after Abbas' plan Israel is unprepared for the possibility of PA President Mahmoud Abbas quitting his post, especially considering that his most likely heir is Marwan Barghouti, presently serving a life sentence in an Israeli prison. Palestine
Will Rouhani, Larijani reshape Iran’s political landscape? With parliamentary elections coming up, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and parliament Speaker Ali Larijani may join forces to counter the hard-liners. Iran
Rafsanjani announces he will run in Assembly of Experts elections Reformist Iranian media has welcomed the news that Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani will run in the February 2016 elections. Iran
Mystery surrounds Iraqi statue's missing glass of wine The latest vandalism of a Baghdad statue underlines the cultural and political strife dividing Iraqis. Iraq
Court verdicts in Libya complicate chances for peace A Libyan court handed down a death sentence to Saif al-Islam Gadhafi and former Libyan officials, sparking widespread criticism of the legitimacy of the trials. Libya
Have terrorists infiltrated Egypt’s Interior Ministry? In light of repeated assassinations in Egypt, some security experts say it is possible the Interior Ministry has been infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other terrorist organizations. Egypt
