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's water crisis reaches critical levels Iran's political leadership must move quickly, and non-ideologically, to resolve the current water use crisis and avoid the possibility of mass migrations. Iran
Rejectionist Israeli government becomes Palestinian asset In face of Israel's new right-wing government, the Palestinian Authority is planning a diplomatic offensive to reconquer the interest of the international community. Palestine
Anbar’s displaced Sunnis not safe from sectarianism The wars in Iraq and the policies adopted after 2003 imposed new sectarian borders on the citizens, which are difficult to overcome in times of humanitarian crises. Iraq
Zarif touts swift sanctions relief Iran's foreign minister told a New York audience that after a nuclear agreement is reached, sanctions could be lifted within weeks. Iran
Iranian MPs fail to bypass the Guardian Council Iranian parliament members failed in a bid to weaken the powers of the Interior Ministry and Guardian Council to vet candidates. Iran
Egypt’s parliament revamped to accommodate more MPs The amendment of the electoral law in Egypt means the current parliament hall does not have enough space to accommodate an increased number of MPs. Egypt
Turkey’s war within the judiciary deepens There is no clear good versus evil in Turkey’s ongoing war within its judiciary, but it is clear that it will bring more evil than good to Turkey’s troubled democracy. Turkey
Iraq, Syria crises cost billions for Turkey The amount Turkey has paid for the Iraqi and Syrian crises in the last four years has reached over $16 billion. Turkey
Israel eases Gaza blockade, hopes for Hamas stability Israel understands that Hamas is in Gaza to stay and is now searching for balance between easing the blockade for Gaza residents and limiting Hamas' military activity. Palestine
Will Netanyahu stand in the way of Kahlon's reform plan? Future Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will block the reforms he is planning, which is why he insisted on a much-detailed coalition agreement with unprecedented responsibilities in finance, housing and banking. Israel
Palestinian women sew to survive Struggling to make ends meet, the women of Gaza sew painstakingly detailed embroidery work for small profits. Palestine
Settlements threaten Palestine’s historic sites Violations carried out by Israeli settlers are destroying historic sites in Palestine in what many see as an attempt to bury Palestinian historic and cultural heritage. Palestine
