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
Is Turkey on moderation path in its foreign policy? Conciliatory messages coming out of Ankara recently may appear as an effort to moderate Turkish foreign policy vis-a-vis the United States, Europe and Israel, but they are likely to be just maneuvering to weather the many stalemates in Turkey's foreign ties. Egypt
Iraqi judiciary initiates procedures to hold MPs accountable on corruption charges The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq is seeking to interrogate a number of members of parliament on charges of corruption and defamation. Originals
Intel: Senate Democrats warn Netanyahu against West Bank annexation Nineteen Senate Democrats warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partner Benny Gantz against Israeli plans to annex settlements in the West Bank and the entire Jordan Valley in a letter Thursday. Palestine
Health care system collapses as COVID-19 races across Yemen As the United Nations appeals for $2 billion in emergency funding for Yemen, aid organizations on the ground warn community transmission of the coronavirus is taking place throughout the war-torn country. Yemen
Egypt ready to resume talks with Ethiopia, Sudan over Nile dam After a tense dispute at the UN Security Council earlier this month, Cairo says it's now ready to go back to the negotiating table. Egypt
As Hifter loses ground in Libya, Egypt weighs options to support him While Egypt supports Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter against the Turkish-backed Government National Accord, it will refrain from interfering directly in the war. Egypt
New law cuts contact for families split between Israel, Iran Prearranged contact with Israelis has become a criminal offense in Iran in a harsh blow to remaining Jews in the country and tens of thousands of Iranian-Israelis, populations already traumatized by loss and disconnection. Israel
Israel response to cyber attack sends clear warning to Iran The Israeli authorities reportedly took Iran's cyber attack on its water systems very seriously, retaliating quickly and warning Tehran of its capabilities. Israel
Egypt makes major archaeological discovery amid coronavirus crisis A joint Egyptian-Spanish archaeological mission announced a major discovery in the Bahnasah region, in Minya governorate, consisting of a unique cemetery. Egypt
Intel: Palestinian Authority to suspend cooperation with CIA over US support for Israeli annexation The secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, says his government has suspended its contacts with the CIA over the Trump administration’s support for Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. Palestine
More than 10,000 health care workers in Iran infected with coronavirus, official says More than 100 health care workers have died from the virus in Iran, the epicenter of the pandemic in the Middle East. Iran
Intel: Trump’s UN ambassador accuses Iran of violating arms embargo The US ambassador to the United Nations accused Iran of violating an international arms embargo as part of President Donald Trump’s push to persuade the Security Council to extend the restrictions, which are set to expire in October as the first sunset provision under the nuclear deal. United States
