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
Middle East expresses support for George Floyd protests in US Displays of support for Black Lives Matter protests in the United States pop up in Israel, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. Originals
Iran’s leader decries ‘cold-blooded’ killing of George Floyd In today's Iran media review, Iran’s supreme leader said the “cold-blooded” killing of George Floyd laid bare the true nature of the US government. Iran
As Turkey gets back to business, doctors warn second wave could follow Cafes and restaurants reopened and intercity travel resumed in Turkey after new cases of the novel coronavirus have steadily declined, though health officials warn failure to follow social distancing measures could lead to new infections. Turkey
Gunmen kill Yemeni journalist in Aden A Yemeni photographer has become the 16th journalist to be killed in Yemen since the start of the country’s civil war. Yemen
Israel denies policy change on deducting payouts to Palestinian assailants from PA taxes The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied any change in the policy of deducting funds paid by the Palestinian Authority from the tax revenues collected on its behalf by Israel. Palestine
Emirati ambassador: West Bank annexation will make region ‘unstable’ The United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al-Otaiba discussed Israel's annexation plans on Al-Monitor's podcast following criticisms by another Emirati diplomat. Originals
Settlers accuse Netanyahu of misleading right on annexation Settler leaders and Yamina are campaigning against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s annexation plan, suspecting the initiative will lead to Palestinian statehood. Palestine
Iraqi forces team up for anti-IS operation in Kirkuk A large joint operation to root out Islamic State sleeper cells began in Kirkuk in a show of strength and unity after a rash of attacks in the area in recent weeks. Iraq
COVID-19 crisis returns spotlight to Gulf migrant communities Contract migration schemes make citizenship acquisition nearly impossible for migrant workers in the Gulf, and recent economic and health crises make any imminent changes further unlikely. Legacy: Gulf
Egyptian archaeologists rely on technology to preserve past Prominent Egyptian archaeologist Monica Hanna is using modern technology, including Google tools, to help protect Egypt’s heritage and teach students. Egypt
Iran turns to bonds to solve budget crisis Tehran has chosen to issue domestic bonds to address its expected budget deficit, a policy that promises to have complex impacts on Iran's economy. Iran
IDF instructed to start preparing for possible annexation It is not yet clear if and when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present his annexation plan, but the army has already been instructed to prepare for escalation scenarios. Palestine
