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
No Israeli-Palestinian peace without Gaza US officials are engaged in wishful thinking if they believe that Israel only needs to reach a peace agreement with Abu Mazen. Palestine
Winter storm causes humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza A winter storm has exacerbated the crises facing the Gaza Strip, which was already suffering from sewage problems and electricity cuts. Palestine
Sidon attacks linked to terror cells The Lebanese army is responding to attacks along the crowded highway. Israel
Netanyahu faces next decision of his life Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be Israel’s weakest politician but its strongest leader. Palestine
Israel’s Ministry of Home Front Defense flop during storm Israel's Ministry of Home Front Defense was established out of political considerations and proved its inefficiency during the latest big storm, freezing instead of responding to the citizens’ needs. Israel
The AKP’s accountability crisis The AKP’s inability to provide accounts of its spending from the previous year generates uproar in Turkey’s parliament, raising questions on the legitimacy of the 2014 budget. Turkey
Hanan Ashrawi crusades against Jerusalem's Jewish history The militant vocabulary of Palestinian official Hanan Ashrawi does not serve the Palestinian cause, damaging efforts to build trust and placing obstacles in the way of the negotiating teams. Palestine
Fate of Maaloula nuns hangs over gathering of region's Christians A conference in Harissa, north of Beirut, will discuss the dangers faced by the region’s Christians, especially as a result of the Syrian war. Qatar
Iraqi Turkmen town seeks to join Kurdistan Region Following years of perceived neglect by Baghdad, some in the Iraqi town of Tuz Khormato have called for joining the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Iraq
Syrian Kurds welcome agreement on Geneva II An agreement between the Kurdistan Workers Party and Iraqi Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani is an attempt to form a unified front heading into Geneva II. Syria
Israel-Jordan water agreement not worth the hype An agreement to pump water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea fails to address Israel's unilateral appropriation of Jordan River waters. Palestine
Will Turks, Armenians ever reconcile? The visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Yerevan could be a positive first step in Turkish-Armenian reconciliation. Turkey
