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
Why refugees won’t return to Syria Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s call on Syrian refugees to return to the homeland has sparked many reactions, as some still fear returning to cities and towns occupied by Iranian forces accused of violations and abuses against the locals. Syria
Palestinians trying to dig themselves out of isolation It seems Palestinians are trying to get out of international and Arab isolation by taking a series of measures, including restoring ties with Israel and returning their ambassadors to the UAE and Bahrain, in anticipation of the Joe Biden administration’s arrival into office. Palestine
In last days of Trump administration, Pompeo showers gifts on Israel Visiting Israel before the end of the administration he serves, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's grandiose gestures and warm reception were clearly the last hurrah of a relationship with a time limit. Israel
Islamic State claims sabotage attack on Egypt’s gas pipeline to Israel Egypt's military said it was a "limited explosion." Egypt
Saudi Arabia’s dire rights record looms over G-20 summit Riyadh’s hosting of the annual summit has drawn criticism from a broad coalition of human rights groups. Saudi Arabia
WHO says lack of masks, distancing contributing to virus spread in Middle East The WHO's regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean also said the number of infections in the area could be higher than reported. Regional
Under new leadership, Turkish Central Bank delivers largest rate hike in two years Following a shakeup in Turkey’s economy team, Central Bank policy-makers raised a key interest rate to 15% Thursday, pledging to fight high inflation and bolster the nation’s troubled economy. Turkey
Egypt weighs stance on Ethiopian Tigray conflict As conflict rages in Ethiopia, Egypt welcomes a delegation from Eritrea stressing its support for regional peace and stability while being keen on resuming the GERD talks amidst concerns over its water security. Egypt
Intel: Senators move to block US F-35, drone sale to UAE A bipartisan group of US senators say they received no reply from the Pentagon or State Department after inquiring last month about implications of the sale of advanced weaponry to the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Turkish government voices support for Afghan peace process The head of Afghanistan's peace negotiations with the Taliban visited Ankara on Thursday as talks continue in Doha. Qatar
Pompeo says settlement products to be labeled 'Made in Israel' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also announced the United States would identify and label groups that support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as "anti-Semitic." Israel
Rouhani, Zarif face criticism for suggesting talks with US While Iran seeks the removal of sanctions, some officials are not keen to reenter direct talks with the US. Iran
