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
Rival Lebanese camps form unity government to fight terrorism After months of accusing each other of treason, rival Lebanese camps formed a unity government to fight the growing terrorist threat. Lebanon
Gaza hackers prepare for next assault on Israel A group of Palestinian hackers in Gaza talk to Al-Monitor about their cyberwar against Israel. Palestine
Iraqi journalists fear censorship after government issues arrest warrant After an arrest warrant was issued against a prominent journalist in Iraq, renewed fear of a return to censorship has emerged among journalists and activists. Iraq
Hamas official says 'Abbas doesn’t represent anyone' In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar says "there is no agreement on the 1967 borders." Palestine
Hamas tests anti-aircraft missiles Palestinian armed groups in Gaza are said to possess anti-aircraft missiles, but their capabilities remain limited. Palestine
Israeli government turns blind eye to boycott snowball Companies around the world join the boycott of settlement products, while the Israeli right promotes a controversial law designed to punish Israelis who support the boycott. Palestine
Egypt seeks to halt Ethiopian dam Egypt has launched a diplomatic offensive to convince European powers to pressure Ethiopia against building the Renaissance Dam along current specifications. Egypt
The legacy of racism toward Mizrahi Jews The publication of the protocols of the riots in Wadi Salib, disclosing the racism of Israel’s founding generation toward the Mizrahi Jewish population, could have initiated a genuine debate. Israel
Syria war sparks Turkish Alawite anxiety The Syrian war has led Turkey’s Arab Alawites to embrace their Alawite and Arab identity. Turkey
Egyptian security forces abuse female detainees Young women, including students and mothers, are victims of physical and psychological abuse after being arrested and jailed by Egyptian security forces. Egypt
Iraq moves to preserve Christian heritage, Syriac language In light of the mass exodus of Christians from Iraq following the 2003 war, the government has initiated steps to teach Christian religious studies and the Syriac language in some public schools. Iraq
Rising rate of plastic surgeries sparks debate in Iraq Plastic surgery is on the rise in Iraq as more and more young women rebel against conservative social norms and traditions. Iraq
