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
Arsal kidnappers break silence, contact Lebanese mediator After a 36-hour silence following the storming of Roumieh prison, the Arsal terrorists holding Lebanese soldiers resumed contact with the government's mediator. Lebanon
Iran holds trump card on oil: petrochemicals To offset the drop in oil revenues, Iran can look to its petrochemical industry. Iran
US maintains intelligence relationship with Houthis Despite alarmist news reports, the Barack Obama administration appears to have adjusted to the rise of the Houthis in Yemen and is continuing attacks on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Legacy: Gulf
Congress unmoved by Obama's call to back off Iran legislation The Senate kicked off legislative debate while the House invited Israel's Netanyahu to weigh in. Congress
After Kobani, where is Islamic State's next target? The besieged strategic Kurdish town of Hasakah, swollen by an influx of refugees and barrel-bombed by Syrian regime forces, is coming under fire from the Islamic State. Syria
Lebanese visa regulations cause more distress for Syrians The announcement of new regulations requiring Syrians to obtain visas to enter Lebanon has caused consternation and confusion among Syrians as well as in the Lebanese government. Lebanon
Yemeni society changes before photographer's lens Yemeni photographer Abdul Rahman Al Ghabri speaks to Al-Monitor about his work and how it reflects the changes in Yemeni society. Yemen
IRGC vows revenge after Israeli attack Iranian military commanders say that the Israeli strike against a Hezbollah convoy in Syria will not deter them. Israel
Israeli party lists show new names, little experience Ahead of Israel's elections, many publicly unknown figures have been promised slots on different party lists, while the esteemed former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz was rejected and no leading municipal leader and few former generals were willing to join. Israel
Should Israel protect Jewish Diaspora or its own citizens? Israel must concentrate on protecting its own citizens, in spite of the risks for the Jews of the world, focusing on military targets and not potential reprisals against Jewish targets outside its borders. Israel
Egypt uses church to bolster ties with Ethiopia Egypt is taking advantage of the rapprochement between the Ethiopian and Egyptian Coptic churches in negotiations over the Renaissance Dam, although some criticize the church’s involvement in politics, especially since Ethiopia is moving forward with the dam’s construction. Egypt
Hezbollah's three options on Israel The Lebanese Shiite group has only a few options for responding to the Israeli strike against it in Syria and wants to be careful not to cause an expansion of the conflict onto Lebanese territory. Israel
