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
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19 The 58-year-old Hamas official was tested after experiencing symptoms. Palestine
Lebanese GDP to decrease by nearly 20% in 2020 The World Bank has proposed several reform measures as Lebanon continues to struggle with currency depreciation, the COVID-19 pandemic and more. Lebanon
Netanyahu, alone at the top, makes a friend on the beach Having distanced aides and security chiefs he no longer trusts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become a very lonely leader. Israel
Islamic State increases attacks in Iraq’s Sunni areas The Islamic State has conducted several attacks in recent weeks on the Sunni-majority provinces of Anbar and Salahuddin. Iraq
UAE joins Greek, Egyptian naval exercise in Eastern Mediterranean The United Arab Emirates deepens its strategic partnership with Greece and its influence in the Eastern Mediterranean in a coalition to check Turkish ambitions. Originals
No Christmas cheer in Bethlehem this year amid coronavirus pandemic The municipality of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank has begun preparations to celebrate the holidays amid exceptional measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Palestine
Iranian commander killed in airstrike on Iraq-Syria border No one has yet taken responsibility for the bombing that killed the IRGC commander. Iraq
Gaza blockade responsible for $16B in economic damage, UN agency says UN trade and development agency says Gaza economy "near collapse." Palestine
US confirms Greece is seeking to buy F-35s amid tensions with Turkey The US acknowledgment follows a report earlier this month that Athens formally requested to buy as many as 24 of the advanced fighter aircraft. Turkey
Kushner to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar to try to mend Gulf rift Jared Kushner's planned trip to the Gulf comes after the assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist and a high-profile visit between Israel and Saudi Arabia's leaders. Originals
Intel: Rights groups urge US to nix arms sales to UAE The organizations warned the major weapons sale could contribute to further instability and violent conflict in the Middle East. United Arab Emirates
Turkey opens secret channel to fix ties with Israel The Biden administration will not be as lenient on Turkey as the outgoing administration has been, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan finds his country increasingly isolated. Turkey
