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
As annexation stalls, Netanyahu revives plan to expand West Bank settlements Israel is reviving the E1 plan to build thousands of settlements in East Jerusalem, which would cut off the city from the rest of the West Bank and undermine any prospect for the creation of a contiguous Palestinian state. Palestine
First COVID-19 case among residents reported in Syrian IS camp Three health workers in the notorious al-Hol camp also tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Syria
Iran suspends newspaper after critical coronavirus coverage The newspaper had just published an interview that accused the government of covering up the scale of Iran's coronavirus outbreak. Iran
Iran says it will not pay to replace Ukraine jet shot down near Tehran in January No agreement has yet been reached on compensation for victims' families, but Iran says it won't pay for the aircraft itself. Iran
Yemen’s rebels say UNESCO sites in Sanaa collapse amid heavy rains The old city of Sanaa is home to more than 100 mosques and over 6,000 houses built before the 11th century. Originals
Greece calls on Turkey to stop renewed gas exploration activities in East Med As Turkish vessels are dispatched near Greek territorial waters, analysts say tensions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea could quickly escalate if leaders on both sides do not reengage in diplomatic talks. Turkey
International donors pledge nearly $300M in Beirut relief The virtual conference on Sunday was co-hosted by France and the United Nations. Lebanon
Gulf states ask UN to extend arms embargo on Iran The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) sent a letter to the UN Security Council amid US efforts to extend the weapons ban. Iran
Rouhani says Iranians must change lifestyles due to coronavirus President Hassan Rouhani urged Iranians to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously and think of it as a long-term issue. Iran
Islamic State's ‘Beatles’ could finally face justice for alleged role in beheading Americans Following a phone call with Attorney General William Barr, the parents of Americans killed by the Islamic State (IS) are hopeful two IS detainees will face justice. Syria
Gantz calls Hezbollah chief Nasrallah 'Lebanon’s biggest problem' On the backdrop of the explosion in Beirut, Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that Hezbollah has the habit of stocking ammunition in homes of civilians. Israel
Gulf migrant workers face crisis of unpaid wages amid pandemic Unscrupulous employers have exploited chaotic coronavirus mass repatriations to avoid paying migrant workers. Originals
