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
Uzbekistan repatriates women and children linked to Islamic State in Syria The 98 people were in camps for Islamic State fighters and their families in Kurdish-run northeast Syria. Some other countries have also brought their citizens home from IS camps there, while others have refused. Syria
Biden's CENTCOM pick to head Pentagon raises concern over civilian leadership Gen. Lloyd Austin has emerged as the president-elect's likely pick over former Pentagon policy chief Michele Flournoy. United States
Racist fans of Jerusalem soccer club become target of mockery Social media users are mocking La Familia fan club, notorious for its racism, over the deal signed yesterday for an Emirati sheikh to invest in the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club. Israel
Eastern Libyan forces intercept Turkish ship en route to Misrata Forces loyal to eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Hifter intercepted a Jamaican-flagged Turkish ship in the Mediterranean Sea late Monday in a move that could escalate regional tensions. Turkey
Iran accuses US of blocking coronavirus vaccine purchases Iranian officials said US sanctions have impeded their attempts to secure the purchase of coronavirus vaccines for their country, which remains the hardest-hit in the Middle East. Iran
Most Israelis have negative view of both Netanyahu, Gantz The Israel Democracy Institute's data also showed some support among Palestinian citizens of Israel for political cooperation with the prime minister ahead of possible elections. Originals
Iraq’s president urges end to violence in protest-hit Sulaimaniyah Iraqi President Barham Salih weighed in on the increasingly violent protests that have gripped the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Iraq
Israel’s center left courts another general In a desperate effort to find a real alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the center-left camp is now courting former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. Israel
Opposition turns up pressure on Erdogan over defense dealings with Qatar Turkey’s political opposition has stepped up pressure on the government over its often-opaque dealings with Qatar as the country’s tank production contract, awarded to a Turkish-Qatari joint venture, remains bogged down. Qatar
Houthi missiles latest threat to fragile Yemeni government Any incoming government in Yemen will need to stop the infighting in the south and address issues related to essential services, as well as be prepared to face a likely torrent of Houthi missiles. Yemen
Egypt wins strong foothold in Iraq’s reconstruction Millions of Egyptian workers may benefit from their government's involvement in Iraq’s massive reconstruction process. Egypt
Egypt, Jordan work to thaw Israeli-Palestinian negotiations Officials from Egypt, Jordan and Palestine are meeting in intense efforts to end the stalemate over the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Palestine
