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
Despite promises, displaced Iraqis linger in limbo Iraq's prime minister has prioritized helping the displaced, but efforts to restore them to their homes are still hindered by political disagreements, a lack of funds and the absence of infrastructure and services. Iraq
Hamas’ test rockets coincide with Israeli annexation plan Hamas’ military wing fired dozens of rockets and mortars toward the Gaza Strip sea, which some believe to be a message to Israel regarding its annexation plans. Palestine
Did Egypt move too fast to receive tourists in light of COVID-19? Egypt received tourists from Ukraine as the country resumed tourism and airports opened up amid strict precautionary and preventive measures. Egypt
Egyptian loans raise fears of impact on economy The Egyptian government expands borrowing from the IMF and selling international bonds, amid warnings of the danger of trying to solve the economic crises by borrowing from abroad, and demands to search for alternatives as Egyptian foreign debt reaches record numbers. Egypt
China’s 'Belt and Road' push brings risks, rewards to Mideast China's digital and satellite advances offer new regional opportunities and challenges for the United States in countering Beijing's economic influence in the region. Saudi Arabia
Israel, Egypt energy ties so far unaffected by coronavirus crisis, annexation plan Despite the coronavirus crisis and the annexation plan, agreements to export Israeli natural gas to Egypt remain intact. Israel
Can Sudan change course of Nile dam talks? After the tripartite negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan reached a dead end, Egypt and Sudan turned to the UN Security Council to resolve the crisis. Egypt
Intel: US pushes Hifter’s Libyan militias to disband US officials pushed strongman Khalifa Hifter’s Libyan National Army (LNA) to demobilize in a virtual meeting on Wednesday. Libya
Amazigh languish in underserved pockets of southeast Tunisia Post-revolutionary Tunisia has been friendlier to its indigenous Amazigh, but the concentration of wealth and power in the north continues to marginalize the remote communities. Tunisia
Congress revives bid to pull US out of Yemen war The Democratic-held House is taking another stab at ending US support for the Saudi coalition’s war against Yemen’s Houthis. Saudi Arabia
Survey: Displaced Iraqis experiencing job losses, food shortages amid pandemic The survey by the International Rescue Committee is the latest proof of economic hardship in Iraq as it grapples with a steep jump in COVID-19 cases. Iraq
Rights group: Detainees in overcrowded Yemen prison at risk of COVID-19 Prisoners at an overcrowded detention center in Aden face serious health risks, Human Rights Watch says in a report. Yemen
