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
Turkey’s S-400 delay is about more than just the economy and COVID-19 Turkey’s deepening economic woes are widely seen as the prime reason behind its decision to delay the activation of the Russian S-400 systems. But an array of other factors have been at play that are forcing Ankara to think twice. Turkey
Kurds shoot down celebratory gunfire after coronavirus victory in Iraqi province Several people were injured by celebratory gunfire after the Iraqi Kurdish province of Duhok declared itself free from the coronavirus. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Saudi-led cease-fire expires in Yemen with no deal in place A unilateral truce in Yemen has expired as aid organizations fear a coronavirus outbreak in the war-ravaged country. Saudi Arabia
Iran unlikely to release women activists during pandemic The coronavirus outbreak is adding to the plight of imprisoned women’s rights defenders in Iran. Iran
Gaza: Love in the time of COVID-19 The requirement that Gaza residents go into quarantine upon returning to the territory has resulted in a number of people meeting their match. Palestine
Emigrants abandon life abroad, flock home to Israel As the coronavirus closes universities and whittles the job market, many Israelis living abroad are now flying home and many more are considering it. Israel
The Takeaway: April 22, 2020 Highlights: Israel’s next move on annexation could depend on Trump; Erdogan may be betting on the impossible in Idlib; Gulf oil exporters caught between Washington, Beijing and COVID-19; UAE launches fatwa-approved lottery; Biden’s Middle East team; and more! Originals
Turkish-backed rebels fight each other in Ras al-Ain, Syria Syrian rebel groups backed by Turkey clashed with each other in the border town they captured from Kurdish forces last year. Syria
Turkey seeks to exploit claims to Iraqi Kurdish village A small village in Iraqi Kurdistan has become a flashpoint for tensions between the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party and its rival, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, with the PKK also entering the dispute. Iraq
Intel: Trump administration claims Palestinian aid not reaching people who need it Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, explaining the Donald Trump administration’s decision to provide $5 million in COVID-19 assistance to the Palestinians in place of $75 million appropriated overall, said US economic and humanitarian aid for the West Bank and Gaza is being cut in general because it was not reaching the people. Palestine
Erdogan says life in Turkey could return to normal by late May The Turkish president also said the country was facing its biggest economic crisis since World War II. Turkey
Lebanon becomes first Arab country to legalize cannabis farming Despite pushback from Hezbollah, the Lebanese parliament passed legislation Tuesday legalizing cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes. Lebanon
