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
Border calm precarious as Iraq's Anbar revives, slowly An airstrike on militias raises tension across the border in Syria, while Qaim, Iraq, is reviving gradually after years of being under control of terrorist groups. Iraq
How long can Erdogan’s alliance survive? Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s re-election last week, his party’s failure to secure an absolute majority in parliament has complicated the picture, leading many to believe that Erdogan would look for ways to achieve full control of the legislature. Turkey
Protests erupt in southwest Iran over water shortages A shortage of drinking water in southwest Iran has resulted in protests and conspiracy theories. Iran
Is Riyadh really pushing for control of Jerusalem holy sites? Saudi Arabia is boosting its efforts to take over Jordan's administration of Jerusalem's holy sites, and many think the pressure is coming from Saudi efforts to drum up support for the US peace plan for the Mideast. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s Reformists hit by suppression at home, pressure from abroad Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Iranian Reformists have no choice but to reinvent themselves if they are to exert political influence. United States
Is Israel going easy on Hamas? Israel plays it safe in Gaza while giving priority to its northern border; Hamas looking for a friend in Moscow; Israel’s nuclear ambiguity. Palestine
Israel tightens financial noose on Gaza Israel recently designated a Gaza currency exchange company a terror organization, raising concerns among local bankers and business owners about who might be next. Palestine
For Israel, Syrian battles hit too close to home Israel is facing a complicated situation on its Syrian border as Iran keeps reinforcing its presence in the country, the Syrian army gets closer to Israel and refugees continue to flee the combat zones. Israel
Will Israel welcome Syrian refugees? The Israeli government has barred entry to Syrian refugees massing along its border, and although Israel is providing them with humanitarian aid, their increasing numbers are leading many to fear a pending humanitarian crisis. Israel
Instant verbal divorce rips families apart in Iran's Kurdish region An uncommon Sunni practice granting immediate verbal divorce has wreaked havoc on the lives of many Kurdish-Iranian families, and some legal and religious parties argue it should be abolished. Iran
Trump, Putin both want piece of Middle East peace talks Russia and the United States can each bring advantages to the Mideast peace negotiating table, but neither is likely to solve all the issues without the other's cooperation. Palestine
US pushes for Plan B in Syria Facing the collapse of a US-backed de-escalation zone in Syria’s southwest, the Donald Trump administration is split on plans to counter thousands of Iranian troops in the war-torn country. Syria
