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
Intel: US comes out against emergency COVID-19 IMF loan for Iran The United States opposes Iran’s request for a $5 billion emergency loan request from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help it cope with the coronavirus pandemic, Al-Monitor has learned. United States
Pandemic further strains Egypt's dilapidated health system Egypt's health practitioners say protective gear shortages are putting them at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Egypt
Iraq's Kurdish region issues arrest warrants over funeral linked to surge in COVID-19 cases Two banned funeral services held in Erbil in March have led to at least 72 coronavirus infections. Iraqi-Kurdistan
US-led coalition ally targets State Department-funded Syrian Arab activists Syrian civil society activists in the country's largely Kurdish northeast are being arrested and held by the Syrian Democratic Forces, possibly as part of a campaign of intimidation. Syria
Turkey cracks down on journalists, others as coronavirus rumors spread Turkish journalists and social media users alike are facing charges for sharing "lies" and "manipulating the public" as Ankara finds its coronavirus responses under scrutiny. Turkey
Intel: US, Iraq to meet on American troop presence Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that the United States and Iraq will convene next month to hammer out several thorny issues, including the status of US troops who remain stationed in Iraq. Iraq
For Erdogan’s government, it’s the economy first in COVID-19 crisis Wary of paralyzing its entire economy, Turkey’s government has balked at drastic measures against the coronavirus outbreak in Istanbul, the country’s economic powerhouse and now the epicenter of the pandemic. Turkey
Iranian officials contradict one another on coronavirus projections, state assistance Iran's health minister says he expects full containment of the outbreak by May 20 despite epidemiologists' predictions of an exponential jump. Iran
Israel’s coronavirus committee slams government over crisis management Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces harsh criticism for both preparation and response to the growing coronavirus pandemic threat. Israel
Coronavirus tests alliance between Netanyahu and ultra-Orthodox Ultra-Orthodox politicians feel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using them as scapegoats over coronavirus failures. Israel
Israel to require people to wear face masks in public Israelis prepare to observe Passover under a curfew after the Israeli government issued new restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. Israel
Ultra-Orthodox welcome soldiers’ help in battle against coronavirus When the ultra-Orthodox residents of Bnei Brak realized that the army was there to help them against the coronavirus, their negative attitudes changed almost overnight. Israel
