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
Turkey’s leftists, Kurds celebrate Syriza victory The election victory of Greece's leftist Syriza party was cause for celebration among Turkey's Kurds and its marginalized left wing, both of which are seeking more electoral power. Turkey
Mohammed al-Deif lives Commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Mohammed al-Deif is responsible for some of the most murderous terror attacks against Israelis, yet during the Gaza war the IDF failed again to eliminate him. Palestine
Yazidi girls tell of escape from IS Yazidi girls recount their harsh ordeal and the scars remaining from being captured by Islamic State militants. Iraq
Gaza-West Bank split divides lovers Palestinian officials, both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, are obstructing the union of couples who are separated by the Palestinian division. Palestine
Is Samarra the key to reducing sectarian tension in Iraq? The Sunni-majority city of Samarra has always been a scene of sectarian tension, as the situation has recently escalated with accusations that Shiites are seeking to change the city’s demography. Iraq
Khamenei’s message to the West An open letter from Iran's supreme leader to Western youth is another sign of the changes afoot in Iran and a decision by the country's leadership to counter Islamophobia. Iran
Sinai residents prepare for the worst Amid a deteriorating security situation the people of Sinai are raising their voices against the oppressive campaigns practiced by the Egyptian army and police that breed extremism and violence. Egypt
Death of Saudi king brings Lebanese leaders together Several Lebanese officials and delegations, including rivals of the kingdom, have visited Saudi Arabia to pay their condolences for the death of the Saudi king, possibly heralding new breakthroughs in the Lebanese crises. Saudi Arabia
Settlement funding: Likud betrays the poor Over the years, the Likud Party has preferred to grant vast funds to settlements, instead of caring for the weak and poor sectors, which got it to power in the first place. Palestine
War on Gulenists undermines Turkish diplomacy Ankara has canceled the authorization of 51 honorary consuls as part of its war on the Gulen movement while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presses African governments to shut down Gulenist-founded schools. Turkey
Criticism over Kerry-Zarif stroll did not disrupt Rouhani meeting Officials in the Hassan Rouhani administration have denied that the president stormed out of a meeting in anger after being criticized for the Geneva walk shared by Iran's top nuclear negotiator and the US secretary of state. Iran
Is the new National Guard the key to unifying Iraq? Proponents of an Iraqi National Guard envision it serving as a counterterrorism force, bringing militias under state control and helping rid the country of the Islamic State. Near East
