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
Who is behind wave of killings of tribal sheikhs in east Syria? Syria's eastern province of Deir ez-Zor sees escalating tensions between Arab tribes and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
Access to Asi River turned into left-right battleground in Israel A tweet by Yair Netanyahu turned a battle over accessing the Asi River into a political war between right and left, Ashkenazi and Mizrahi. Israel
Sudan floods muddy Nile dam talks The floods in Sudan have destroyed thousands of homes and killed hundreds amid stalled negotiations between Cairo, Addis Ababa and Khartoum over the Nile dam dispute. Egypt
Turkey pumps brakes on car imports Driven by some peculiar dynamics, demand for imported cars has grown in Turkey despite the coronavirus pandemic, leading Ankara to hike taxes to suppress a trend that has worsened the country’s currency woes. Turkey
Online calls for anti-Sisi protests in Egypt may fall flat Social media activists are calling for street protests Sept. 20 against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but expectations are low. Egypt
Israeli-Arabs split over agreement with the Emirates Some Israeli-Arabs reject the deal with the UAE, while others cheer the opening to the Arab world. United Arab Emirates
Israel punishes Hamas, but also advances Gaza development programs Defense Minister Benny Gantz implements a harsh-response policy on Gaza balloon terror while also advancing Gaza development projects. Israel
Intel: Russian naval exercises could fuel Greece-Turkey standoff in EastMed A planned Russian drill could worsen an already tense standoff between Greece and Turkey in the energy-rich and disputed eastern Mediterranean Sea. Turkey
Coalition withdrawal from base near Baghdad worries locals The recent pullout of international coalition personnel from Camp Taji, the first airstrike in years in an area close to the capital, and continued targeting of facilities keep tensions high as the drawdown continues. Iraq
US seizes websites of Iraqi militia-affiliated news outlet The US Justice Department says the domain names of Aletejah TV's websites were owned and operated by a US company and affiliated with the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia. Iraq
Iran’s nuclear deal and the US presidential election The deal’s fate depends on the outcome of US elections, not the UN. United States
Serbia, Kosovo to open embassies in Jerusalem Serbia plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem next year, and Kosovo also has agreed to open an embassy in the holy city. Israel
