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
Israel faces historic decision as new population figures emerge With the official announcement that the number of Jews and Arabs living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea had reached parity, Israel is facing a historic decision. Palestine
Israeli defense official threatened owners of Gaza bus companies in days before protest Hamas-backed demonstrations reflect Palestinian political crisis, despair of Gaza’s economic conditions and collapse of peace process. Palestine
Turkish-US Syria talks set to resume amid heightened tensions Turkish diplomats will meet in Washington tomorrow, hoping to build on what Ankara has said are US pledges to push Syrian Kurdish fighters out of Manbij in northern Syria. Syria
Iran's conservatives see Twitter as next battleground A prominent Iranian conservative compared being active on Twitter to being active on a battlefield. Iran
How Mohammed bin Salman unites usually divided Iranians The Saudi crown prince’s harsh words against the Islamic Republic seem to have a unifying effect among Iranians. Saudi Arabia
The EU’s plans to save Gaza European diplomats say that the European Union is now preparing a set of proposed moves to calm down tensions in the Gaza Strip and avoid a violent Palestinian outbreak at the end of President Mahmoud Abbas' era. Palestine
Should Palestinians keep boycotting Jerusalem elections? Palestinian politicians continue to pressure East Jerusalem residents to boycott the municipal elections, but voting data demonstrates an opportunity to swing political influence in the city. Palestine
Hamas says it's open to dialogue with US A senior Hamas leader has said the movement is willing to engage in talks with the United States, which some believe to be an attempt to replace the PLO. Palestine
Hamas pursues conflicting paths While preparing for the March of Return and conducting massive military exercises, Hamas is also sending conciliatory messages to Israel and the US. Palestine
Jordan, Turkey mending fences over trade agreement dispute During a time of shifting alliances, Ankara views Jordan as an important potential ally — which no doubt has been a factor in Turkey's decision to renegotiate a free trade pact that Amman says favors Turkey. Saudi Arabia
More real than the news: Turkey's satire magazine coats truth in humor Turkey's largest satirical website, which has 5.4 million followers on Twitter, maintains its tongue-in-cheek criticism against all odds. Turkey
Lebanon plans to overhaul its public transportation sector The World Bank has approved a $295 million financing package to reform public transportation in Beirut. Lebanon
