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
IS makes plans to fend off attacks on Mosul The Islamic State focuses on preparations to fight off expected attacks to Mosul by identifying secondary locations for headquarters, storing weapons in mosques and planting booby-traps. Iraq
Peshmerga look to restore image after defeats Peshmerga forces are slowly but steadily regaining lost territory to the Islamic State, after initial defeats this summer sent shock waves through Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Will Abbas walk the walk on his threats to Israel? Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will present his plan to end the Israeli occupation at the UN General Assembly, with PA officials warning they will launch a political campaign against Israel should the plan be rebuffed. Palestine
Lebanon concerned about spillover from US-led airstrikes on IS During the Paris Conference, the Lebanese delegation expressed its concerns that the US-led airstrikes on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria will have repercussions for Lebanon — concerns that foreign ministers tried to alleviate. Lebanon
What will Turkey do if Russia turns off gas? The risk of Russia cutting gas supplies to Europe amid the Ukraine crisis has exposed Turkey’s energy vulnerability, with Istanbul, its most populous city and main industrial hub, dependent on Russian gas. Turkey
The new politics of Israel's 'Minister of Facebook Affairs' Over the last 12 months, social networks have taken over Israeli politics with Finance Minister Yair Lapid and Knesset member Stav Shaffir especially making effective use of communicating with the public in this way. Israel
Beirut, the concrete jungle of the Middle East Poor urban planning and government inefficiency has resulted in a highly congested Beirut, with little green space and ailing infrastructure. Lebanon
Who’s afraid of a handshake? With President Hassan Rouhani in New York for UN General Assembly, the issue of a possible handshake between Rouhani and the US president is a prime concern in Iranian media. Iran
US, Iran woo rival Kurdish factions in battle against IS While US airstrikes against the Islamic State have mostly benefited areas controlled by Kurdistan Democratic Party forces, Iran has reportedly provided materiel and advisers to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Iraq
Israel prepares for cyberwars Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu established a new espionage organization devoted entirely to cyberwarfare, to prepare Israel for future conflicts. Palestine
How much of US Middle East policy does Moscow understand? Poor understanding of US and Russian policies has caused commentators to overlook that some of Moscow's and Washington's disagreements over the Middle East are strategic and tactical, but their ends the same. Iraq
The truth about Turkey and Islamic State oil While oil sales by the Islamic State across the Turkish border are a real problem, the Turkish government does not condone it. Syria
