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
Israel seeks to bypass PA, directly engage with Palestinians After the Palestinian Authority announced its disengagement from the agreements with Israel, the latter has been working on opening direct communication channels with Palestinians, in an attempt to weaken the PA. Palestine
Sharm el-Sheikh prepares for antiquities museum opening Egypt is getting ready to open the first antiquities museum in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh later this year, in the hope of boosting the tourism sector that has been badly affected by the coronavirus lockdown. Egypt
AIPAC lobbies for US-Israel coronavirus bill to counter China Congress is quickly lining up behind an AIPAC bill to deepen COVID-19 cooperation with Israel while sidelining China. Israel
Rocket lands near Baghdad International Airport, no casualties No group has claimed responsibility for the attack Monday. Iraq
Israel's El Al airline seeking financial help to stay afloat Israel's airport remains closed and the airline has suffered from the downturn in global travel. Israel
Sanctions on Syrian government also threaten Washington's Kurdish allies While US and international sanctions aren't specifically targeted at Kurdish-ruled northeast Syria, the area is impacted all the same with cross-border trade practically halted and because of the sudden plunge of the Syrian pound. Syria
Erdogan links antifa to Kurdish groups Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told US President Donald Trump today that Kurdish groups in Turkey and Syria are working with the anarchist group allegedly linked to violence at otherwise peaceful protests in the United States. Turkey
Intel: US sanctions Iran shipping line after humanitarian deferral ends The Donald Trump administration sanctioned an Iranian shipping line and its Chinese subsidiary today after a six-month humanitarian deferral period ended. Iran
Intel: Congress pushes for Syria sanctions ahead of key deadline A bipartisan group of four key lawmakers renewed their calls on the Donald Trump administration to implement a stringent sanctions package on Syria’s Bashar al-Assad government today. Originals
Aid flight arrives from Iran to Venezuela despite continued US pressure Economic and political relations between Iran and Venezuela continue to develop despite Washington's best efforts. Iran
Family of imprisoned Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul worries after contact cut off Women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who has been imprisoned since May 2018, hasn't been heard from in a month. Originals
Erdogan transforms neighborhood watchmen into loyalist force Turkish lawmakers are considering a bill to empower the country's controversial neighborhood watch in what critics say is a ploy to give the president a vigilante force under his direct control. Turkey
