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
Erdogan riles Austrian hosts in visit to Vienna In his visit to rally expatriate Turks in Austria for his likely presidential campaign, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s comments annoyed Austrian leaders, a replay of the prime minister’s visit to Germany last month. Turkey
Mosul events warning on Palestinians' eastern border The defeat of the trained Iraqi army in Mosul has made many Israelis worry about worst-case scenarios on its own borders. Palestine
Kidnappings force rethink of Israel’s Hamas strategy As it searches for the kidnapped teenagers, Israeli decision-makers are considering how their actions will affect Hamas’ influence in the long run. Palestine
How a Turkish girl broke the heart of a shah In her latest book, Turkish novelist Nazli Eray shares the story of her mother, a woman whose beauty once stunned Middle East elites and left the Iranian shah heartbroken. Iraq
Can Syria help defeat ISIS? The Syrian government, which has recently engaged the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in battle, might share an interest with the United States in defeating the terror organization. Iraq
Syria's barrel bombs: an eyewitness account The author documents the aftermath of a barrel bomb attack on civilians in the Bustan al-Qasr neighborhood of Aleppo. Syria
Youths' abduction stirs Israeli sympathy for settlers Politicians from both the right and the left are sympathizing with the families of the abducted youths in an unusual wave of empathy from the Israeli public toward the settlers at this moment of national distress. Palestine
Knesset member Zoabi says kidnappers 'aren't terrorists' Knesset member Haneen Zoabi has decided to continue to focus more on provocation than on action. Palestine
Hamas summer camps for kids include military training Hamas is keen to retain its influence in Palestinian society, and is using its annual summer camps to stay connected with Gaza youth. Palestine
Escalating crisis drives surge in Iraq's messianic movements Political and economic hardships in Iraq have contributed to the rise of radical Messianic movements that claim to represent the return of the Mahdi. Iraq
Iraqi Kurds seize control of key Syria border crossing The Syria-based Democratic Union Party (PYD) fears a return to isolation after a Kurdish rival, the Iraq-based Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), captures the Rabia border crossing. Iraq
Ex-Saddam Baathists unite in Ninevah campaign A member of the Iraqi Baath Party claims that 14 different factions, including the Baathists, were involved in the takeover of Ninevah province on June 10. Iraq
