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
Israeli left looks to restore its image Leftist activists are working to restore the image of the "left," but the key to power and to becoming a political alternative lies in the center and left parties’ ability to merge into a critical mass. Israel
Syrian rebels break uneasy peace in Golan Heights Syrian rebels, including Jabhat al-Nusra, are hoping they can take control of Quneitra province and break the siege on Ghouta in eastern Damascus. Israel
The return of Lebanese 'self-security' The growing fears of a jihadist presence in Lebanon have pushed some Lebanese villages toward increasingly relying on themselves for security. Lebanon
Turks turn to EU with renewed enthusiasm Public support for EU membership in Turkey has shot up from 45% to 53% in just one year, a new survey says. Turkey
Hezbollah parliamentarian: We will defend Lebanon from IS In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayyad said Lebanon was under direct threat from the Islamic State and that Hezbollah stood ready to confront it. Saudi Arabia
Drought triggers protests in Iran Climate change, drought and decades of mismanagement have led to serious water shortages in Iran, leading to protests in a number of cities. Iran
Fatah source: no chance of reconciliation with Hamas In an interview, a Fatah source in Gaza said that Hamas arrested him and his colleagues during the fighting, and that the rift between Hamas and Fatah was about to explode. Palestine
Iran ministry accused of targeting conservative news sites Iran's Culture Ministry has been accused of enforcing licensing requirements only for conservative news sites, ignoring Reformist and pro-administration outlets. Iran
US-Iran cooperation on IS makes Israel uneasy Although Israel is increasingly uneasy about the possibility of US-Iran cooperation in fighting the Islamic State, Israeli security officials say the emergence of a regional Islamic caliphate would be a strategic disaster. Palestine
Hamas eyes armed resistance from West Bank Hamas officials have expressed a desire to shift the armed confrontation with Israel to the West Bank, prompting a Palestinian Authority crackdown on Hamas. Palestine
Turkish workers face perilous conditions Turkey's workplace is the most dangerous in Europe, and critics blame the Justice and Development Party's brand of crony capitalism. Turkey
Lebanese Central Bank pushes start-up investments Lebanon's Central Bank is encouraging commercial banks to invest in small business start-ups to spur economic growth — but with limited success so far. Lebanon
