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
Former Iran ambassador: Saudis must accept Houthis In an interview with Al-Monitor, Seyed Ali Asghar Ghoreishi, former Iranian ambassador to Yemen, discussed the nature of Iran's support for the Houthis, elements necessary to end the fighting in Yemen and the possibility of extremist groups seizing large sections of territory in Yemen. Legacy: Gulf
Is Hamas preparing for long-term truce with Israel? Hamas’ military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, has been implementing a series of military measures signifying a possible truce with Israel, but is not ruling out the possibility of a deadly confrontation. Palestine
Rouhani: Saving environment starts with sanctions removal Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has been criticized for linking possible help for the country's environmental problems with sanctions relief from a nuclear deal. Iran
Why didn’t Netanyahu attack Iran? This week it was disclosed that there was a serious disagreement between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the heads of the security apparatus in 2010, when Netanyahu considered attacking Iran. Israel
What's next for Turkey? With the Justice and Development Party losing its parliamentary majority in the general elections, a viable coalition is now unlikely and all signs point to a political crisis. Turkey
Egyptian prisoner renounces his nationality to escape sentence Prisoner Mohammed Sultan renounced his Egyptian nationality to escape a jail sentence, which stirred many questions about the law on the extradition of prisoners. Egypt
Eastern patriarchs meet in Damascus The Eastern patriarchs met in Damascus on June 8 to discuss the Christians’ situation in the region, following coordinating efforts between Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai and the Vatican, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi and Moscow. Lebanon
Catwalk becomes catfight on Turkish TV A fashion-themed reality show, marked by shouting matches between contestants and jury members, has broken rating records in Turkey. Turkey
Islamic State releases first Turkish publication Pro-Islamic State groups ramp up their propaganda in Turkey and issue their first online periodical. Turkey
Israel's Gaza disengagement legacy Israel's disengagement from Gaza should not be perceived as a disaster but as a first step amid many more that guarantee Israel's Jewish majority. Israel
Radical Islamists add to Hamas' burden On top of its many other security and political challenges, Hamas is also dealing with the radical Islamist elements in Gaza that are firing rockets at Israel while Hamas struggles to maintain a cease-fire agreement. Palestine
IS growing in numbers, money The Islamic State is gaining in influence while those opposing it search in vain for ways to counter the extremist organization. Saudi Arabia
