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
What will happen after Sanaa's fall? Many scenarios explain the fall of Sanaa to the hands of Houthis and the period that will follow in Yemen. Yemen
Israeli left shuns Rabin's legacy Two ceremonies in November will commemorate the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, neither of which will focus on the reason he lost his life: his efforts to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Israel
UN envoy meets with Hezbollah to discuss Syria Staffan de Mistura is the first UN special representative to the Syrian conflict to meet with Hezbollah officials to get the organization's assessment of the Syrian crisis. Lebanon
Iranians protest acid attacks Protests have sprung up in Esfahan over the acid attacks that have terrorized the citizens there and concerns of potential leniency by authorities. Iran
IS imposes new rules on education in Syria, Iraq The Islamic State is leading a cultural revolution in Iraq and Syria, issuing new regulations to bring the educational system in line with Sharia and its Salafist ideology. Iraq
Gazans at risk as winter looms Much of Gaza's water, power and sanitation infrastructure was damaged in the recent conflict, and repairs are taking time, which has left Gazans looking for alternatives to get through what could be a long, cold winter. Palestine
Is Hezbollah preparing large assault on Israel? If Iran succeeds in securing an agreement that enables it to preserve nuclear capabilities, it might decide to attack Israel through Hezbollah on the Lebanese and Syrian borders. Israel
Danes outraged by Turkey’s hostage deal with IS Reports that the would-be assassin of a Danish anti-Islamic activist was released in exchange for Turkish hostages held by the Islamic State has infuriated Danes. Turkey
Israeli soccer team honors alleged spy for Hezbollah In an interview with Al-Monitor, the spokesperson of Israel's Bnei Sakhnin soccer team explains that it honored former Knesset member Azmi Bishara because he facilitated Qatari financial support. Qatar
Egypt's religious conversion controversy With the alleged kidnappings of priests’ wives and forced conversions to Islam, Christian and Muslim leaders are renewing efforts to restore official counseling sessions for those wishing to change their religion. Egypt
Are relations between Iran, Egypt warming? The rise of the Islamic State as a common enemy threatening Muslims from all sects explains the possible rapprochement between Iran and Egypt. Egypt
Syrian youth revive street performances Young Syrian musicians perform on the streets of Damascus to engage passersby, despite the security crackdowns. Syria
