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
The Rise and Fall of Al Jazeera Al Jazeera has lost its reputation as a credible Arab media outlet. Egypt
Israeli Union Leader Plays Hardball With Labor Party The Labor Party primary system needs reform. Israel
Sewage Pours Onto Gaza Beaches Thousands of liters of sewage water are dumped into the sea in front of Gaza's beaches, creating an environmental hazard during the peak of summer. Palestine
Emir Signals Change by Replacing Head of Qatar Investment Authority In the second article of a two-part series, the new Qatari emir seeks to separate politics and business. Qatar
Syrian Child Refugees Find Little Solace on Beirut Street The tragedy of Syria's war is evident on the streets of Beirut, where working Syrian children struggle to survive. Palestine
Egyptian Army Enables Democratic Transition It is time to end the debate of whether what took place in Egypt was a coup or revolution. Egypt
Iraqi Kurdish Parties Dispute Law Extending Barzani Presidency Due to its general disregard for the internal bylaws of the Iraqi Kurdistan region’s parliament, members of President Massoud Barzani’s party and the opposition both have objected to a law extending his term. Iraq
Former General, Current MK Sees 'No Military Threat to Israel' Knesset member and former general Amram Mitzna contends that Israel faces no immediate threats in the region, and should use this window of opportunity to jump-start negotiations with Palestine. Palestine
Fatah Official Urges Hamas To Abandon Muslim Brotherhood Fatah senses Hamas' regional decline, and is urging it to focus its efforts on national reconciliation. Palestine
Israeli Challenges in Reconciliation With Turkey Israel needs pragmatism in dealing with Turkey. Israel
Iraqi Kurdistan's Islamist Parties Condemn Egyptian Coup The Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s Islamist parties consider the coup that ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi a setback for democracy. Egypt
