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
ISIS weighs approach on Baghdad The fall of Mosul into the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is an indicator of the breakdown in the Iraqi army, and shows the necessity to unify the ranks in Iraq to fight terrorism. Iraq
Iraqi soldier describes army 'without leadership' in Mosul The governor of Ninevah province, Atheel al-Nujaifi, blames "Maliki and his policies" for the fall of Mosul. Iraq
Lapid's strategy of empty threats benefits Netanyahu The declaration by Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid that annexation of any area of the West Bank would result in the dismantling of the government raises the bar in a way that actually ensures the survival of the Netanyahu coalition. Israel
Why doesn't Netanyahu label price tag attacks as terrorism? Participants of the 14th Herzliya Conference criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for persisting in refusing to define settlers who commit "price tag" attacks as members of a terror organization. Palestine
Iran officials call for international response to ISIS violence Iranian officials respond to the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham extremists. Iraq
Why Rivlin's win is a defeat for Netanyahu The Israeli prime minister tried and failed to prevent his right-wing rival, Reuven Rivlin, from becoming president. Israel
Do Israeli women deserve their own awards? An initiative to establish a special prize for Israeli women artists provokes a public debate on whether affirmative action helps in advancing women or damages the battle for gender equality. Israel
Why is Jabhat al-Nusra no longer useful to Turkey? The Turkish government may be waking up to its failed Syria policies. Syria
Will Homs truce be repeated in Aleppo? Hezbollah sources indicate that efforts are underway, including interventions by Iranian and Turkish authorities, to repeat the truce reached in Homs last month in Aleppo. Syria
Turkey's Kurds key to Erdogan's presidency bid The Kurdish movement, uneasy with the stalling of the peace process, may have a card to play in the August presidential elections. Turkey
Syrian Kurds continue to blame Turkey for backing ISIS militants In a report from northeast Syria, Syrian Kurds, locked in a bloody battle with the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), also fear a potential clash with Syrian government forces. Iraq
Ex-Islamic Jihad leader launches new armed group in Gaza A former Islamic Jihad leader has announced the creation of a new “resistance faction” in the Gaza Strip, which has been accused of promoting sectarianism. Palestine
