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
Qatar's annus horribilis Qatar has taken a sharp turn in fortune in the past year, going from influential regional power to almost complete isolation. Qatar
Israel deputy minister: Abbas heads a terrorist government In an interview with Al-Monitor, Deputy Minister Ofir Akunis blames Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the unsolved abductions of the three Israeli students. Palestine
Jordan shaken by threats from ISIS, Iraq, Syria The kingdom faces a security crisis over conflicts involving neighboring Iraq and Syria, a jihadist enclave on its border, waves of refugees, and returning terrorist fighters from both countries. Iraq
Israel blames Hamas political leaders for abductions Israel is no longer buying the distinction between Hamas' political and military divisions. Palestine
Saudi Arabia sees allies among Iraq's Sunni tribes The kingdom is distinguishing between Sunni tribes opposed to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). Legacy: Gulf
Palestinians blame PA for Israeli crackdown in West Bank The Israeli military response in the West Bank following the kidnapping of three teenagers has raised serious fears of a popular revolt in the occupied territories. Palestine
Israel should back Mahmoud Abbas to deter ISIS While the United States and Europe try to strengthen moderate Arab countries as a counterbalance to global jihad extremists in Iraq and elsewhere, Israel continues to diminish moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestine
Israel's Generation Y 'brainwashed' by social networks Founders of an Internet site dedicated to Israelis in their 20s say that today's young people are reluctant to grow up, concentrating on self-fulfillment rather than on responsibility. Israel
Saudi Arabia threatened by ISIS advance in Iraq Despite their problems with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Saudi leaders consider the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) a threat to the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Fars News objects to Arab media coverage of Iraq Fars News has criticized Arab-language media coverage of Iraq, revealing some of Iran's concerns about the crisis. Iraq
Palestinian officials fear 'regional crisis' with Israel over kidnappings The kidnappers of three Israeli teenagers have successfully hidden their tracks, frustrating Israeli and Palestinian efforts to find them. Palestine
Israel sees Jordan as buffer against regional 'madness' Most Israeli security officials wonder how much longer Jordan can cope with the threats on its other borders. Legacy: Gulf
