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
Egypt may ban Brotherhood supporters from joining army The recent announcement by Egyptian attorney Azeb Makhlouf warning about the recruitment of men affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the Egyptian army has stirred controversy. Egypt
Power outages add to Aleppo’s suffering The electricity network in Aleppo has been severely damaged by the war, with power outages of more than a year in some neighborhoods. Syria
Former Shin Bet chief calls for regional conference In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Shin Bet head and current Science Minister Yaakov Peri calls to seize this moment after the Gaza war for a regional diplomatic move involving the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Palestine
Money, power draw young Iraqis to IS Many young people from Jurf al-Sakhar in Iraq are volunteering to join the Islamic State (IS) to secure a monthly income. Iraq
Erdogan’s presidential ambitions face uphill battle The selection of President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan's replacement as AKP leader may create turmoil in the party's ranks. Turkey
Israel accused of using illegal weapons in Gaza war Doctors in the Gaza Strip say they have evidence that shows the Israeli military used internationally prohibited Dense Inert Metal Explosives against civilians during Operation Protective Edge. Palestine
Morsi ousted: Egypt army suspends constitution, calls early elections Egypt's military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the army has stepped in to transfer power from Egypt's Islamist President Mohammad Morsi to a technocratic government ahead of early parliamentary and presidential polls. Egypt
Obama statement on Egypt avoids 'coup' In a statement on the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi Obama refrained from using the term "coup." Egypt
US presses Egypt for swift return to civilian rule, against arbitrary arrests After Convening a meeting with members of his national security team on July 4, President Obama pressed Egyptian Officials to swiftly transition back to civilian rule. Egypt
Israel names Ron Dermer next envoy to Washington Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has named his political advisor, the American-born Ron Dermer, to replace Michael Oren as Israel's next ambassador to the US. Israel
Israel bristles at EU measure as Kerry arrives in Amman to push peace talks Netanyahu has criticized the European Union's directive to curtail financial ties with Jewish settlements built outside Israel's 1967 borders. Palestine
The Closer: Why Ron Dermer may be Bibi’s perfect peace envoy Israel’s next envoy to the United States Ron Dermer, may use his ties to the GOP to sell peace to the American right if Netanyahu decides to get serious about negotiations. Palestine
