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
Hamas bites the hand that feeds it Israel is aware of the fact that any regime vacuum in the Gaza Strip will draw in more extreme forces, which is why it battles an impossible fight of trying to stop the rocket fire from Gaza while preserving Hamas rule. Palestine
Aleppo rebels caught between Islamic State, regime Rebels in Aleppo say they will struggle to prevent both the Syrian regime forces and a resurgent Islamic State from sweeping through the city and its countryside. Syria
Bomb shelters replace summer camps for Israeli children Children from central and northern Israel are now experiencing what residents of the south have suffered for 13 years: the sounds of the alarms, the running for shelter, the ongoing fear and trauma. Palestine
Looking to take a break, Gazans find beaches a war zone Israeli naval boats are firing at Gaza’s coastline, turning popular Gaza beaches into a war zone. Palestine
Iranian military vows to uphold cultural norms Iran’s military has called the breaking of cultural norms a national security threat and urges all government institutions to help it enforce the law. Iran
Palestinians accuse Israel of war crimes in Gaza Cafes and homes in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment, which local Palestinian activists say constitute war crimes. Palestine
Abbas' lack of action on Gaza war infuriates Hamas Hamas officials have scolded President Mahmoud Abbas for attending a peace conference in Tel Aviv during Israel's assault on Gaza. Palestine
Barzani: Iraqi Kurds keeping their options open In an interview with Al-Monitor, President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani speaks about the current crisis and doesn’t rule out the right to self-determination if unification efforts fail. Iraq
Media circus causes panic in Israel News anchors, security experts and Knesset members are all raising the panic level through the media over the rocket fire, enjoying the attention they are receiving during the “disaster marathon.” Palestine
Economic cooperation between Egypt, Ethiopia on the rise In light of the expected visit of Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to Ethiopia, the Egyptian-Ethiopian committee is working on resuming dialogue on the Renaissance Dam issue. Egypt
US, Iran security cooperation could help save Iraq Tehran and Washington must act together to manage the crisis in Iraq before the volatile divide between Shiites and Sunnis becomes an all-out sectarian war and destabilizes the region. Iraq
Israel levels Gaza farms in search of tunnels Israeli airstrikes on seemingly empty tracts are often agricultural lands vital to Gaza’s food production. Palestine
