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
Turkish stock market gains 40% in six months The Istanbul stock exchange has been the most profitable investment instrument in Turkey since the beginning of the year, followed by Turkish lira deposits and bonds. Turkey
Egypt squanders Gaza war opportunities Unlike during previous wars in the Gaza Strip, Egypt — distracted by its own internal affairs — is isolated politically while its Gazan neighbors across the border in Rafah find themselves in a dire situation. Palestine
Kerry says 'indiscriminate' Syria chemical attack 'undeniable' US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that the delayed access for UN inspectors to the chemical attack sits is due to the Syrian Government shelling the areas in an attempt to destroy evidence. Syria
Gazans irritated as Turkey focuses only on Hamas While some Gazans see Turkey as a true supporter of Gaza, others see it as a supporter of only Hamas and question Turkey’s sincerity. Palestine
Beyond US strikes, signs of intensifying UN diplomacy on Syria Obama administration officials have said that the goal of military action in Syria would be to uphold the universal prohibition of chemical weapons and not regime change, citing that the conflict must be resolved politically. Syria
Satterfield to temporarily helm US embassy Egypt David Satterfield, current head of the Multinational Force & Observers mission in Egypt, will temporarily helm the US Egypt mission following the departure of ambassador Anne Patterson. Egypt
Obama makes case for 'decisive' but 'limited' action on Syria President Obama has said the military action he is considering for Syria will not deeply involve the US in the conflict, but will "have a positive impact on our national security over the long term." Syria
New alliances for a 2015 Middle East peace conference? The Gaza conflict demonstrates that Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Saudi Arabia share common regional interests, which could lead them to an international peace conference based on the Arab League's peace initiative. Saudi Arabia
Never ask me about peace again A first-hand account of the aftermath of an Israeli strike that killed nine members of the author's family. Palestine
Rouhani slams Israel for 'genocide' in Gaza At a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Israel's policy is simply to eradicate the Palestinians. Palestine
Arsal clashes a threat to Lebanon's future The outcome of the clashes in Arsal between the Lebanese army and fundamentalists supporting the Syrian opposition may hold the key to how Lebanon can resolve its political crises. Lebanon
Israeli withdrawal will leave Hamas empty-handed Contrary to the two previous conflicts with Israel — when Hamas depicted the outcome as a great achievement — this time, the number of casualties and the destruction in the Gaza Strip will not allow it to claim victory. Palestine
