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
Hamas quietly allows Gaza doctors to get COVID-19 training in Israel Gazan medical staff received training inside Israel on the novel coronavirus in unpublicized coordination between Hamas and Israel. Palestine
Intel: Turkey's tourism sector sets hopes on June kick start President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's announcement that the government aims to relax COVID-19 restrictions and start returning to normal life at the end of Ramadan has raised the hopes of the country’s ailing tourism sector. Turkey
Amid public pressure, Iraq suspends transfer of IS families to Zummar camp Iraqi minorities in the Ninevah Plain are complaining about the transfer of Islamic State families to a camp in their area. Iraq
Lebanese parliament reconvenes with anti-virus measures in place The Lebanese parliament voted to pass a bill allowing cultivation of cannabis for medicinal purposes as protests resumed in Beirut. Lebanon
Iran extends closure of religious sites amid pandemic While gradually reopening much of the economy amid lowering coronavirus-related mortalities, the Iranian government has extended a shutdown of religious sites nationwide. Iran
Qatar Airways defers some employees' pay to save costs and keep flying Qatar Airways is still offering many passenger flights, unlike other major Middle Eastern carriers. The drop in international travel due to the coronavirus has resulted in major losses for airlines. Qatar
Jewish pilgrimage to Tunisia canceled over coronavirus With the coronavirus pandemic reaching the island of Djerba in Tunisia, Jews of Tunisian heritage won’t be able to attend this year's traditional Ghriba synagogue festivities. Israel
Egypt’s tanneries complex gets revamp, to be turned into tourist, cultural hub The old tannery complex is located inside Magra El-Oyoun Fence, which is a historical site dating back to the Mamluk era. Egypt
Intel: Erdogan reportedly agrees to ship ventilator parts, PPE to United States President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is approving an export permit that will allow Turkey to sell personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilator parts to the United States. Turkey
Iraq relaxes coronavirus restrictions ahead of Ramadan The government announced shops and factories can resume work during certain hours. Iraq
Delayed S-400 activation could offer chance for Turkey-US ties to warm Citing complications amid the coronavirus pandemic, Ankara has postponed the activation of its Russian-made S-400 missile systems, possibly opening an avenue to ease US-Turkey tensions. Turkey
Islamic State steps up attacks in Iraq during coronavirus lockdown The Islamic State launched numerous attacks in Iraq's disputed territories in April amid a lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Iraq
