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
Gaza Blockade Erodes Palestinian Culture, Education Although the recent blockade on Gaza is often characterized as depriving residents of vital food supplies and medicine, Asmaa al-Ghoul argues that the real tragedy is embodied by the intellectual blockade on the Strip. Palestine
Award-Winning Photo Shares Human Tragedy of Gaza War Dalia Hatuqa tells the tragic story behind the World Press Award-winning photo of two dead children wrapped in white cloth during a funeral procession in Gaza last November. Palestine
Libyans Celebrate Anniversary Of Revolution Amid Troubles Libyans celebrated the second anniversary of the start of their revolution despite discontent with the transition under way since the fall of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi, reports Maggie Fick from Tripoli. Libya
Palestine Should Not Wait for Obama Senior Fatah official Husam Zomlot speaks to Daoud Kuttab of the need for Palestinians to press ahead with their own strategic track, and not wait for the United States to impose a solution. Palestine
Belaid's Widow Holds Ennahda 'Politically Accountable' for Slaying In an exclusive interview with Ali Hashem, the widow of slain Tunisian opposition politician Chokri Belaid holds the Tunisian government "politically accountable" for his murder. Tunisia
Turkey Needs Policies, Not Politics,In Dealing With the PKK Tulin Daloglu argues that Turkey is ready for a settlement that will end PKK violence, but political posturing by the government does not help. Turkey
Iranian Official Reportedly Killed In Syria Houssam Khosh Nweis has been killed in Syria amid rumors and stories of the circumstances surrounding his death. Lebanon
St. Valentine Woos Turkish Islamists The new family-minded "Lovers Day," modeled on Valentine's Day, confirms that Turkey is not divided between cultures of the West and Islam but a breeding ground for mixtures of the two, writes Mustafa Akyol. Turkey
Palestinian Attacks on Settlers Signal a Shift in Tactics Attacks by Palestinians against Israeli settlers have increased in recent years, requiring a shift in Israeli strategies to protect settlers in the West Bank, reports Adnan Abu Amer. Palestine
Tel Aviv Calling, Mr. Obama US President Barack Obama should skip the dismal visits to tombs and monuments in Jerusalem in his forthcoming visit to Israel and drop by Tel Aviv instead, writes Ben Caspit. Israel
Palestinians Not Optimistic About Obama Visit As US President Barack Obama prepares to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders in their respective capitals, Palestinians do not expect any progress on the peace process, reports Hazem Balousha. Palestine
Is Barzani Assuming Talabani's Role As Mediator in Iraq? Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani has taken up the roles of both broker and mediator in Iraqi politics given Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's absence, in the midst of a tense situation in the country, writes Abdel Hamid Zebari. Iraq
