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
Obama's new problem: Turkey The Obama administration should not underestimate the depth of Turkey’s domestic crisis and its implications for US-Turkey ties. Syria
Moallem: Aleppo proposal a response to Kerry's call for local cease-fires In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid Moallem said he proposed a plan for ending military operations in Aleppo last week in response to US Secretary of State John Kerry's appeal for a cease-fire there. Saudi Arabia
As power cuts continue, Gaza turns to solar energy Amid an electricity crisis that has led to increasingly long daily power cuts, some residents in the Gaza Strip are turning to solar energy systems. Palestine
Former Iraq VP: Terrorism, political conflict behind Anbar crisis In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, former Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi speaks about the Anbar crisis, Iranian influence in Iraq and his expectations for the upcoming elections. Saudi Arabia
Special Tribunal offers hope for justice in Lebanon The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has the potential to set Lebanon on a course to becoming a more just country or an even more contentious one. Lebanon
Bennett calls diplomatic process harmful to Israeli economy Israeli business leaders have called on the prime minister to end the conflict with the Palestinians so Israel can prosper, while Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett claims that this will destroy the Israeli economy. Palestine
Qatar's foreign minister: Iran has 'crucial role' in Syria In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah calls for a unified Syrian opposition and describes the plight of the Syrian people as "unprecedented." Qatar
Palestinian 'incitement': Israel’s usual last resort Incitement in the Palestinian Authority has not been measured to date by any valid research tool, and yet Israeli officials keep raising this claim whenever they run out of propaganda ammunition to justify their occupation and settlement activities. Palestine
Anbar war opens front on Facebook, Twitter As the battles in Anbar continue and sectarian tensions rise in Iraq, citizens from both sides have set up Facebook pages to gather supporters and present their views. Iraq
Nonsectarian citizens isolated in Iraq Amid increased sectarian tensions, those Iraqis who choose not to side with one sectarian group have found themselves targeted by many, including their own communities. Iraq
When America has the will, Israel finds the way The Israeli defense minister’s apology for what he said about US Secretary of State John Kerry proves that when America pressures Israel, its gets what it wants; but will it demand a compromise with the Palestinians and accept the price of this pressure? Palestine
Despite being illegal, sidewalk vendors thriving in Iraq Because of their popularity, street vendors are thriving in Iraq in spite of government attempts to control them. Iraq
