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
Israel’s parliament has 21 days to choose prime minister President Reuven Rivlin has given the Knesset three weeks to choose the next prime minister after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White head Benny Gantz failed to reach an agreement by the Wednesday deadline. Israel
Intel: US holds virtual anti-IS meeting amid COVID-19 pandemic The US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State convened a virtual meeting today to discuss the fight against the remnants of the terrorist group. Iraq
Syrian Kurds designate graves for those who die abroad To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in Syria is burying any residents who die abroad in designated graves near border crossings. Syria
Netanyahu’s paranoia impedes coalition talks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s paranoia and fears are the real reason why a unity government agreement has not been signed yet. Israel
Lebanon’s waste crisis worsens amid COVID-19 outbreak A local NGO is taking care of medical waste produced by health institutions amid the coronavirus crisis in Lebanon, which is already grappling with an acute trash crisis. Lebanon
Extremist settlers exploit pandemic to step up violence While the Israel Defense Forces and the political leadership are busy fighting the novel coronavirus, Israel's notorious hilltop youth are rioting and attacking Palestinians with impunity. Palestine
Intel: 11 Iranian ships harass US vessels in Persian Gulf The US 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf said today that 11 Iranian vessels “repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches against multiple US naval ships operating in international waters.” United States
Egypt foils possible terrorist plot against Coptic Christians Egyptian security forces kill seven suspected militants in a shootout in eastern Cairo in which a policeman died. Egypt
The Takeaway: April 15, 2020 Highlights: COVID 19 Update: Erdogan deepens military role in Syria; ‘The people have not been merciful’ in Egypt; Region can’t bank on Gulf banks for bailout. Also: Erdogan in no rush to deploy Russian missile defense; Houthis look to expand reach beyond Yemen; and more! Originals
Pandemic reveals Iran's online-learning challenges Iran is working out the kinks in its distance-learning process, which it launched on the fly when the coronavirus struck. Iran
Turkey says rate of coronavirus infection stabilizes The health minister sees signs the fast-spreading contagion is coming under control as the number of new cases remains steady. But an independent physicians’ group warns the government may be undercounting. Turkey
Mideast economies to see biggest downturn in four decades, IMF projects Almost every country in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia is expected to have negative gross domestic product this year, and the overall GDP for the region is expected to contract by an average of 3.1%. Legacy: Gulf
