Gendarmerie operation sparks controversy in Petra, Jordan Petra’s tribal entrepreneurs react to a security operation carried out inside Jordan’s most-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site with criticism and concern for their livelihoods. Jordan
Culture Despite war, thousands of Israeli Hasidim make pilgrimage to Ukraine Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine won’t stop thousands of Hasidim from reaching the city of Uman and the tomb of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov just before the Jewish New Year. Israel
Middle East airlines to suffer losses again in 2022 The International Air Transport Association said that airlines in the region will fare somewhat better financially due to the return of long-haul flights. Legacy: Gulf
Israel expects post-COVID tourism rebound this summer Israeli experts do not expect tourism to reach this summer the record level of 2019, but they certainly notice a trend of increase on both outbound and incoming tourism. Israel
Bernie Sanders criticizes Israel over vaccine situation in Palestinian territories The Israeli prime minister's son responded to Sanders on Twitter, saying Israel is not responsible for vaccinating Palestinians. The spat followed reports Israel is giving surplus vaccines to allies abroad. Israel
With Turkey set to reopen schools, educators and health experts urge caution amid pandemic Turkey will resume widescale face-to-face education March 1 as some educators and health experts warn premature normalization measures could spur a rise in coronavirus cases. Turkey
The Israel-Russia-Syria deal: Cost, beneficiaries and future deals As Israel and Syria conclude a deal on the return of an Israeli woman from Syria, questions arise regarding the cost and what the future of such transactions with Russian mediation should be. Israel
Netanyahu's plan to donate vaccines to other countries suspended, awaits legal opinion Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said this week that as a gesture of goodwill, Israel would donate vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority and a number of other countries. Israel
Syrian opposition gears up for coronavirus vaccine drive The Syrian opposition's self-styled interim government is seeking to bring the coronavirus vaccine to a specific category of the population of northwestern Syria. Syria
Gaza launches vaccination drive amid low turnout The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, in cooperation with the World Health Organization and UNRWA, launched the first phase of coronavirus vaccination for the residents of the Gaza Strip after receiving 22,000 doses of vaccines from Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Palestine
Vaccine pass required to attend Israeli concert The Israeli government has launched a "Green Pass" program that allows vaccinated individuals to go to concerts, the gym, hotels and more. Israel
Lebanon’s vaccination campaign stumbles at launch As politicians skip the line to receive their coronavirus vaccine, questions arise about the quantity of vaccine doses Lebanon has and will receive and if it’s enough to inoculate the local and refugee population. Lebanon
World Bank warns Lebanon after politicians, staff cut line for vaccine Lebanese lawmakers have denied any wrongdoing, say underlying medical conditions were the reason for their early shots. Lebanon
Qatar Airways to introduce touchless entertainment technology Qatar's flagship airline will allow passengers to access in-flight entertainment without touching the screen in March as a way to limit the spread of COVID-19. Originals
Kuwait begins mandatory quarantine for all people entering the country The Gulf state is experiencing relatively high daily cases of COVID-19 as it continues its vaccination campaign. Originals
Israeli-Arabs suffer selective enforcement over coronavirus rules violations The numbers are clear: Arab towns and villages now have fewer coronavirus cases than ultra-Orthodox localities, yet enforcement of coronavirus restrictions is much much higher there. Originals
