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
Hamas mixed on Iran nuclear deal Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk has criticized Iran for signing a nuclear deal with the West, but some of his colleagues believe the deal will have a positive effect on Hamas. Palestine
Obama going big in the Middle East The "first step agreement" with Iran is a giant step toward recasting the strategic landscape in the Middle East for the better, including for US allies Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Egypt moves ahead with nuclear plant to address electricity crisis Egypt's government is seeking to expedite the construction of a nuclear power plant to generate desperately needed electricity. Egypt
Sulaimaniyah scene of power struggle among Iraqi Kurdish parties Infighting and growing polarization between leaders in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah have raised concerns about the unity of Iraqi Kurdistan. Iraq
Jazz concert offers respite for besieged Gazans Gazans have few options for evening entertainment between tight restrictions from the Hamas government and the economic crisis caused by the blockade. Palestine
Geneva accords pledge to ease humanitarian transactions for Iranians The P5+1 is still trying to figure out how to keep its promise to facilitate Iranian purchases of food and medicine and other humanitarian trade. Iran
Netanyahu's nuclear blind spot Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reaction to the Iran nuclear deal shows a blind spot in his thinking — and a bit of hypocrisy. Israel
Iran deal may encourage more humble Turkish foreign policy The nuclear agreement between the six world powers and Iran may be a wake-up call for Turkey to recast its own foreign policy after its failures in Syria. Syria
Are elderly Armenian women victims of hate crimes? The trial of a man arrested after a string of attacks against elderly Armenian women in Istanbul is rekindling fears that a racist gang may be at large in the city. Turkey
Syrian Kurdish party calls on Turkey, KRG to end embargo The Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) is calling on Ankara and Erbil to open border crossings to allow trade and safe passage. Syria
Netanyahu is wrong on Iran deal Iran is going beyond its IAEA commitments in the six-month agreement reached in Geneva. Israel
Divorced Palestinian women suffer discrimination, stigma Divorced women in Gaza are frowned upon by society, struggle to remarry and are often discriminated against in the workplace. Palestine
