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
Idlib could be trump card or time bomb for Turkey Turkey may be pushing its luck by expanding its operational field into Latakia province, provoking skirmishes with the Syrian army. Syria
Iraq's pro-Iran factions shrug off congressional sanctions push Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Hezbollah Brigades have dismissed the effectiveness of possible new US sanctions against them and claim they might even be helpful. Iraq
Defying blockade, Palestinians set sail from Gaza Although Israel stopped the latest attempt by sea to break the siege on Gaza, Palestinians are determined to continue efforts to draw attention to the blockade. Palestine
Holding elections in fractured Libya puts cart before horse It seems UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame is getting ahead of himself, agreeing to elections before the warring parties reconcile. Libya
After Gaza bloodshed, UN mulls protecting Palestinians The odds of the UN passing a resolution to send a protective force to the Palestinian territories are slim, but recent violence there has given the proposal legs. Palestine
Forces in Iraq's Anbar unite for cross-border anti-IS operation As the second phase of the operation to retake the last major pocket of territory held by the Islamic State across the border continues, local Iraqi forces in the western Anbar city of Qaim are wary but hopeful that some of their disappeared may soon be found. Iraq
Israel's undiplomatic top diplomat Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely made yet another questionable diplomatic move this week, boasting about an education agreement signed with Myanmar. Israel
Leader defines principles of new Future Syria Party In an interview with Al-Monitor, the leader of the newly established Future Syria Party, Ibrahim al-Qaftan, rejected claims that the group seeks to counter Turkish pressure in northern Syria, stressing that its goal is to build a pluralistic and democratic state. Syria
Will Egypt implement ban on YouTube over anti-Islam video? Almost six years after the release of the "Innocence of Muslims" movie trailer on YouTube, Egypt’s Supreme Administrative Court issued a ruling to block the site for a month, but some question whether the decision will be carried out. Egypt
Israel ignores failure of Gaza blockade policy Israeli leadership refuses to recognize the reality and admit that its Gaza blockade policy failed in toppling Hamas rule. Palestine
How Israel's Supreme Court provides support to occupation of West Bank, Gaza Israel’s Supreme Court has authorized virtually every violation of the Palestinians' rights brought before it. Palestine
Egypt’s Ramadan TV series marked by controversy — again From sexual harassment accusations to diplomatic summons, Egypt’s Ramadan TV series are facing controversy, with prankster Ramez Galal as the top villain. Egypt
