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
Kerry begins Iran deal sales push on Capitol Hill A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of July 20. Israel
Syrian refugees' US resettlement stalled over security concerns Critics say the United States should accept 65,000 Syrian refugees by the end of next year, but the numbers are likely to fall far short. Syria
Preventing Iran's post-sanctions job crisis With the expected lifting of economic sanctions against Iran, the government will need to formulate a set of policies to protect local industry while also taking into account the return of foreign businesses. Iran
Russia looks for new regional footing post-Iran deal Beyond diplomatic niceties, real challenges and opportunities await Moscow, as the Iran deal is not the culmination but rather the beginning of some serious and complicated work. Russia
Fallujah liberation key to securing Anbar The Iraqi government’s announcement of the Anbar battle will allow the Iraqi forces to liberate Fallujah, and then Ramadi, as long as they are not trapped in the war of attrition waged by the Islamic State. Iraq
The Palestinian dancer who was locked away Lina Khattab, an 18-year-old dancer and university student, tells Al-Monitor about her ordeal when Israeli forces arrested her and says she hopes she can show the world the suffering of the Palestinians. Palestine
Netanyahu rejects US offer of military support; IDF says not so fast Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects again the US offer for a security-compensation package, unlike the IDF that is taking the agreement as a done deal and wishes to cooperate closely with the United States on security follow-up. Israel
Israeli play about French prostitute premieres in Turkey Actor Zion Ashkenazi tells Al-Monitor about the warm welcome he and his one-man play based on the life of French playwright Jean Genet received at a Turkish theater festival. Israel
What are Iran's conservatives saying about the nuclear deal? Iran's conservatives are warning that a nuclear deal with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany will not necessarily lead to better relations with the United States. Congress
Palestinians hope to regain global attention after Iran deal Israel and the Palestinians are both preparing themselves for the new period opening up after the signing of the nuclear agreement with Iran, with Netanyahu's government moving more to the right and the Palestinians encouraging a French-led UN resolution proposal. Palestine
Netanyahu's so-called 'settlement freeze' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly admitted that he has halted settlement construction because of the delicate international setup, but this is aimed at appeasing the United States, pretending that he is battling rightist coalition forces. Palestine
West Bank community welcomes Khader Adnan home from Israeli prison The story of Khader Adnan, who was arrested twice by Israel and recently released, garnered public sympathy in Palestine and throughout the world. Palestine
