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
Gazans divided over billboards featuring foreign donors The Gaza Strip has grown accustomed to billboards thanking foreign donors for their support, but these billboards have done little to lift the siege on Gaza. United Arab Emirates
Saddam Hussein's tomb haunts Tikrit residents Iraqis have been obsessing about Saddam Hussein’s body and the fate of his legacy. Iraq
Rouhani writes Obama as Iran talks enter endgame Iranian President Hassan Rouhani wrote US President Obama and called other P5+1 leaders as foreign ministers from six world powers are expected to join Iran talks over the weekend to try to reach a political agreement on an Iran nuclear deal by March 31. Congress
Saudi Arabia gets bipartisan backing for Yemen airstrikes Lawmakers are lining up behind the US ally despite fears of another sectarian proxy war. Saudi Arabia
Who determines Iran's foreign policy? While Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes the final decisions on foreign policy, a number of other factors and players play significant roles. Iran
Iran condemns Saudi bombing of Yemen Hard-line Iranian officials have condemned the United States and Saudi Arabia for the bombing in Yemen and have warned of consequences for Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Hamas hopes to expand regional relations Hamas is seeking to expand its regional relations, namely with Egypt, which is seemingly trying to ease tensions with the movement. Palestine
AKP cracks inflict collateral damage on the Kurdish issue Bulent Arinc-Melih Gokcek dispute reveals fissures in the ruling AKP ahead of the June 7 election; the Turkish military reiterates its determination to fight the PKK. Turkey
Are Turkey's young IS recruits now a domestic threat? Young Turks are increasingly attracted to the Islamic State's radical doctrines, believing their own country's brand of political Islam to be superficial, yet the Turkish government remains unconcerned with the increasing radicalization. Syria
Netanyahu's coalition headache Even before negotiations have started, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must struggle with his future right-wing coalition partners, a situation which might encourage him to further explore the possibility of a unity government. Israel
Israel takes Hezbollah threats seriously The Israel Defense Forces have altered the topographical contours of the Western Galilee to create a steep cliff adjacent to the border with Lebanon, with the objective of turning the ground into a strategic advantage against Hezbollah. Israel
Palestinian national unity priority after Israeli elections In light of the results of the Israeli elections and amid a storm of accusations between Palestine and Israel, high-level Hamas leaders see Palestinian unity as a key component for enabling a possible solution to the deep-rooted conflict. Palestine
