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
In Israel, German foreign minister expresses concern over annexation plan On a short visit to Israel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expressed concern over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annexation plan and called upon the government to return to the two-state solution. Israel
Kurdistan Region parliament in Iraq closes after COVID-19 cases Some members and staff were found to have COVID-19 after tests as the virus spreads quickly throughout the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Basra, the richest city in Iraq with little water to drink Iraq's Ministry of Water Resources is preparing a plan to solve the water crisis in Basra, which has been one of the most prominent issues successive governments have failed to address. Iraq
Egyptian expats wary as Kuwaiti MPs propose bill to reduce foreign workers As Kuwait’s parliament gears up to discuss a draft law that, if enacted, would reduce the number of foreign workers, Egyptians in the small Gulf country fear they will have to go back to Egypt where the economy has been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis. Egypt
Israel's 'Silicon Valley' to further fragment East Jerusalem Israel is preparing to begin work on a project known as "Silicon Wadi" in Jerusalem in what locals perceive as another move to alter the city’s demographic makeup and infrastructure. Palestine
Israeli knitting project empowers Bedouin, Syrian women Israeli luxury brand IOTA offers high-quality knitted objects and furniture, while empowering Israeli, Bedouin and Syrian women. Israel
Four injured in US military transport plane crash at Iraq’s Camp Taji An Air Force C-130 Hercules struck a wall, damaging the aircraft and causing a fire onboard. Iraq
Iraq sees slight drop in new COVID-19 cases after days with more than 1,000 The spread of the virus continues at an alarming rate in Iraq, particularly in Baghdad and Sulaimaniyah. Iraq
Intel: Trump’s Iran policy coordinator previews additional prisoner talks President Donald Trump’s Iran policy coordinator hinted today at ongoing negotiations with Tehran to secure the release of additional American prisoners following the release of Navy veteran Michael White last week. United States
Israel’s top court strikes settlement Regulation Law Israel’s High Court ordered the state to cancel the Regulation Law that enables to retroactively legalize settlement homes built on private Palestinian lands. Israel
Bahrain releases human rights activist Nabeel Rajab from prison Rajab's release came just days before the four-year anniversary of his arrest. Bahrain
Palestinians say they were not informed of second virus aid flight from UAE to Israel The second-ever direct flight from the United Arab Emirates to Israel took place today, but Palestinians say they were not informed of the aid delivery. United Arab Emirates
