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
Israel-Hamas escalation halts sewage treatment, generates ecological crisis Gaza incendiary balloons made Israel stop fuel import into the Gaza Strip, causing in turn for Gaza sewage plants to cease operating. Palestine
Gulf citizens powerless in face of megaprojects Local communities in Saudi Arabia often have no say in the strategic infrastructure projects and long-term economic reforms that directly impact them. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Murder of another Iraqi activist sparks new wave of demonstrations The death of a woman activist follows a string of recent assassinations and kidnappings and has reignited mass protests in Iraq demanding an end to violence and corruption. Iraq
Russian major general killed in roadside bomb in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Maj. Gen. Vyacheslav Gladkikh is the first Russian general reported killed in Syria since 2017. Syria
Trump, Kadhimi launch new chapter in US-Iraq relations US offers Iraqi prime minister aid, energy deals and continued cooperation against Islamic State. Iraq
Erdogan converts another historic church into a mosque The centuries-old Chora church, which has served as a museum since 1945, will soon be open to Muslim worship. Turkey
UAE to send F-16s to Crete for training with Greek military amid tensions with Turkey The UAE is the latest country to show support for Greece amid a tense maritime dispute with Turkey United Arab Emirates
Coronavirus cases in Israel top 100,000 The surge in coronavirus cases come as confidence in Benjamin Netanyahu's government is declining. Israel
Turkey announces major natural gas discovery in Black Sea President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the discovery of 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas will help Turkey reduce its reliance on foreign energy supplies. Turkey
Lebanon returns to lockdown after post-explosion surge in virus The country has registered all-time highs in daily new COVID-19 cases following the massive Aug. 4 explosion. Lebanon
Libyan sides declare cease-fire, call for return to political process Libya's Tobruk-based government reciprocated a call for a cease-fire by the UN-backed government in Tripoli, in a potential breakthrough for peace. Libya
Activists continue to be killed in Basra The killing of an Iraqi activist in Bara took place even as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was visiting Washington; it was just the latest in a series of violent attacks against protesters and others in the southern city. Iraq
