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
Intel: Senators berate Pentagon failure to sever F-35 cooperation with Turkey The Pentagon is still allowing Turkey to produce components for US F-35 fighter jets, violating a defense law that President Donald Trump signed in December. Turkey
Nile River dam talks resume, but still no agreement Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan resumed negotiations on filling Ethiopia's mega dam on Friday. Egypt
Abu Dhabi to host 'Fight Island' MMA event The United Arab Emirates will hold the isolated UFC event on Yas Island with health precautions in place, as the combat sport continues to grow in the Middle East. Originals
Israel’s Foreign Ministry making a comeback? Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi seeks to reassert the role of the ministry in Israel's diplomacy. Originals
Turkey entrenches further into Libya as rivals strike back Ankara is set to deepen its military intervention on the side of Libya’s Government of National Accord as it asserts dominance in the gas-rich eastern Mediterranean and drums up domestic support for the ruling party. Turkey
Iran admits incident at nuclear site caused 'slowdown' Iranian officials have confirmed that an incident at the Natanz nuclear facility was intentional. Iran
US air defenses intercept rocket fired toward Baghdad’s Green Zone US air defense systems stopped a rocket attack before it could enter Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, which houses the US and other embassies. Iraq
Qatar coronavirus cases top 100,000 as restrictions ease The Gulf state announced 546 new cases and five more deaths from the virus on Monday. Qatar
No more Big Fat Wedding: Turks struggle to be wed in times of the coronavirus From bejeweled masks to dummy brides, Turks struggle to combine tradition with new social distancing rules. Turkey
Israel approves exploration, bidding on disputed offshore field Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz announced June 23 the opening of bidding for drilling in Block 72, off Israel’s northern shores, which Lebanon says is adjacent to its own fields. Israel
Church in Jerusalem scrambles to regain trust of community after deal with settler group The Orthodox Patriarchate was dealt a new blow as the Israeli Central Court rejected its appeal against the deal known as Bab Al-Khalil. Palestine
Has Israel lost control over coronavirus pandemic? Faced with a continued spike in coronavirus cases, Israel’s government is set to reimpose crowding restrictions. Israel
