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
US Senator to continue fighting UAE weapons sale Sen. Chris Murphy said he wants to work with the incoming Biden administration to review aspects of the Trump administration's weapons sale to the UAE after resolutions to stop the sale failed in the Senate. Originals
Amnesty blasts Airbnb for settlement listings as company goes public The London-based rights group called on Airbnb to unlist around 200 rental properties in the West Bank. Israel
Italian prosecutors prepare charges in murder case of student in Cairo The Egyptian security officials have 20 days to respond before Italian prosecutors ask a judge to charge them in relation to the 2016 murder of Giulio Regeni. Egypt
EU to sanction Turkey over gas-drilling activities At a summit in Brussels Thursday, European leaders appeared ready to impose sanctions on Turkish individuals and companies linked to energy-prospecting activities in the eastern Mediterranean Sea that have raised regional tensions over the last year. Turkey
Trump announces Israel-Morocco normalization deal Under the deal, the United States will also recognize disputed Western Sahara as Moroccan territory. Israel
Netanyahu hails historic decision by Moroccan king to normalize ties with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this evening thanked President Donald Trump and Morocco King Mohammed VI for the announcement over normalizing ties with Israel. Israel
Intel: Russia sets up military positions in Syria’s Ain Issa after shelling from Turkish-controlled side The move follows Russian talks with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces Syria
Death toll mounts as Iraqi Kurdish protests continue The unrest in Iraq's northern Sulaimaniyah province has left at least nine people dead. Iraq
Shared interests in Iran, Caucuses push Turkey and Israel closer Ankara’s growing isolation and a combination of broader geopolitical factors, including Iran and the Caucasus, are driving a fresh bid to normalize Turkish-Israeli ties. Turkey
Death penalty upheld for Iran journalist defector who turned from establishment Ruhollah Zam, the son of a regime-connected cleric, was charged in June with "corruption on earth" for inciting violence in Iran's 2017 protests. Iran
Greatest threats to Netanyahu come from right Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in eroding the Israeli political left, but in doing so alienated his own right wing as well. Israel
Syrians suffer as crossings remain closed, and smuggling operations become pricey Smuggling operations between the areas under the control of the Turkish-allied factions and those under the control of the Syrian regime have been ongoing since the main crossings were closed in March as part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Syria
