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
Iraqi prime minister criticized for halting strikes on cities Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has come under fire from some rival circles for a decision to halt indiscriminate strikes on cities, which were causing civilian casualties. Iraq
Are Turkish troops trapped at Syrian tomb? Turkish troops guarding the Tomb of Suleiman Shah, a Turkish enclave in Syria, are facing increased risks as Ankara refuses to evacuate them. Syria
High stakes for Erdogan in fight against IS Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turns hawkish on the Islamic State, but he is aware that the stakes are high if Ankara joins the war against the group. Syria
Will Lebanon swap prisoners with IS, Jabhat al-Nusra? The families of kidnapped Lebanese soldiers have been calling on the government to agree to a prisoner exchange to secure their relatives’ release, but a number of obstacles stand in the way. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu missteps on Hamas, Islamic State comparison In his UN General Assembly speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared Hamas to the Islamic State, ignoring Israel's ongoing negotiations with Hamas in Cairo. Palestine
Eid al-Adha: a time for Iraq to remember its war dead The religious duty of visiting the dead on holidays has a special meaning for Iraqis, as many of them have lost loved ones in successive wars since the 1980s. Iraq
How Saudi Arabia is distancing itself from Islamic State While Saudi Arabia has confronted the Islamic State, the country has denied there is any connection between its state religion and the jihadist group. Legacy: Gulf
Syrians on both sides oppose US strikes Local rebels and pro-regime supporters are both critical of the US-led strikes on the Islamic State for various reasons. Syria
Lapid's budget a betrayal of social justice The 2015 Israeli budget achieves two of Finance Minister Yair Lapid's goals, but reflects the political interests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rather than making a commitment to social justice. Israel
Abbas' speech warning siren for Israel The UN General Assembly speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reflects first and foremost the Palestinians' despair of any hope for peace with the current Israeli leadership. Palestine
Iran's Basij announces donation efforts for Gaza The head of Iran's Basij has said that the organization is collecting money for reconstruction in Gaza. Palestine
Egypt-Israel future ties could depend on Palestinian issue Israel should note that though policy changes may take time in Egypt, sources confirm that the Abdel Fattah al-Sisi administration is inclined to embrace a regional strategic policy to advance the Arab Peace Initiative. Palestine
