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
Bolton, Pentagon rallied to keep al-Tanf base in Syria After Donald Trump's surprising tweet in late 2018 that all US troops would return from Syria, John Bolton says he spoke out against the abandonment of the US garrison at al-Tanf. Syria
Netanyahu calls for 'snapback sanctions' against Iran Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook — the perfect opportunity for the premier to show his tight ties with Washington and control of the Iranian file. Israel
Can Arab League push Ethiopia to delay filling of Nile dam? Arab foreign ministers called on Ethiopia to refrain from filling the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month without prior agreement with Egypt and Sudan, but Arab experts and observers believe this position must be translated into action to support Egypt and Sudan in their dispute with Ethiopia. Egypt
Trapped by Netanyahu, Gantz loses popularity Supporters of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz have not forgiven him for joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and their disappointment could mean the end of his political career. Israel
Can Tunisia stay out of Libya war? During his visit to France, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied stressed his country’s unwavering neutral position on the conflict raging in Libya, to the dismay of the country’s Islamist Ennahda movement. Originals
Israel goes after Turkish projects in Jerusalem Jerusalem Municipality destroyed a plaque marking Turkey’s contribution to the restoration of a cemetery in the city as Israeli concerns over the Turkish activities in East Jerusalem persist. Palestine
Egypt hackers attack Ethiopian sites as Nile dam talks falter Ethiopia announced it has foiled an Egyptian cyber attack as tensions deepen between the two countries over the limping negotiations on the Nile dam dispute. Egypt
Houthis state readiness to talk peace with Saudis as missiles continue to rain By escalating military operations against Riyadh, the Houthis are seeking to build themselves a position of strength for public negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Chinese automaker to produce electric cars in Egypt Egypt’s oldest automotive manufacturing company has signed a deal with China’s Dongfeng Motor to produce electric cars for the first time in the country. Egypt
Calls to prayer rile some residents of mixed Israeli town Some residents of Lod complain that the ubiquitous Muslim calls to prayer are a nuisance, though others say the multicultural city will never silence them. Israel
Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan discuss Nile River dam at UN Security Council Ethiopia said the Security Council is not an appropriate place to discuss the dispute, while Egypt said filling the dam threatens its "survival." Egypt
Emirates Airlines to resume flights to Cairo, Tunis The Dubai-based airline is continuing to rebuild its flight network after resuming international passenger services in May. Originals
