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
Syrian rebels deny truce deal with Islamic State The Syrian Revolutionary Front has rejected media reports that it signed a nonaggression pact with the Islamic State, but there are efforts being made in south Damascus to reach a local truce. Syria
Bibi exhausts another political rival Over the years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu managed to drive away those who threatened his position, such as Ministers Roni Milo, Moshe Kahlon and now also Likud’s favorite Gideon Saar, leaving the party empty of political stars. Israel
The gentrification of Tel Aviv In 1948, several hundred families were sent to settle a piece of land on the northern outskirts of Tel Aviv, but today the land is valued at billions of shekels and the residents battle a real-estate tycoon over eviction. Israel
Hamas denies Qatar is pushing it to leave Hamas officials have strenuously denied news reports that Qatar might extend its decision to expel Muslim Brotherhood leaders to include Hamas leaders residing in Doha. Legacy: Gulf
Israel must help Gazans, regardless of Hamas Israel must consider unilaterally lifting the Gaza blockade because desperate Palestinians there have nothing to lose, a situation far more dangerous for Israel than Hamas rearming. Palestine
Is Syrian army US' best option against IS? Too many uncertainties about "moderate" Syrian rebels make them the least effective option for confronting the Islamic State, leaving the Syrian regime the only realistic alternative. Iraq
Party payments squeeze out Egypt's youth candidates Political parties are demanding payments of up to $28,000 for candidates to be included in their electoral lists. Egypt
Gaza farmers want guarantees Israel won’t destroy their lands Farmers in Gaza are fed up with replanting their battered lands only for Israel to destroy them, and want negotiators in Egypt to guarantee their security. Palestine
Wary of Salafists, Egypt expands control over mosques The Egyptian state is expanding its control over the dialogue in mosques, and is now preventing Salafists from giving sermons without a permit. Egypt
Iran cleric: They used to say loudspeakers were forbidden Two prominent clerics have taken opposing views on the issue of high-speed Internet, which is currently being debated in the Iranian media. Iran
Former Shas leader: Government has abandoned the poor In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Shas Party leader Eli Yishai criticizes the government's alleged socioeconomic agenda, claiming that the poor are again subject to political manipulations. Israel
Number of Iraqi orphans, widows rising with conflict Recent military operations in Iraq against the Islamic State have led to a spike in the number of orphans and widows. Iraq
