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
Netanyahu gets cold feet on unity government for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed away from the unity government plan even after Blue and White leader Benny Gantz agreed to many of his conditions. Israel
Egypt's family planning policies tested by COVID-19 Egypt has struggled to lower divorce rates and to convince people to have no more than two kids, but the pandemic may challenge these polices, as more couples stay home during lockdown. Egypt
Jordanians cope with lockdown through humor, empathy and solidarity Despite economic hardships and the lockdown imposed to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, Jordanians are coming together to help the needy while also turning to jokes to cope with this exceptional situation. Jordan
Erdogan claims monopoly on goodness, but it might backfire The Turkish government has thwarted opposition efforts to raise funds to help the needy against the coronavirus crisis, a move that could backfire and deepen President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s political woes. Turkey
Turkey pursues Libya campaign despite growing financial woes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is pressing ahead with his military venture in Libya even as the coronavirus pandemic is putting further strain on Ankara’s cash-strapped coffers. Syria
Will Trump administration provide COVID-19 aid to the Palestinians? The US administration recently announced a global $274 million coronavirus aid package, but the Trump administration is nonetheless doubling down on the fight to eliminate all Palestinian aid. Palestine
Amid coronavirus concerns, some US-funded aid work paused in northeast Syria The United States intends to focus more on stabilizing Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces as it suspends humanitarian operations in northeast Syria due to COVID-19. Syria
Riyadh Agreement at risk of collapse in southern Yemen Tensions flare between Saudi and UAE aligned forces. Saudi Arabia
Coronavirus restrictions expose deficit in Palestinian-Israeli Oslo Accord The coronavirus outbreak exposed a largely unknown deficit in the Oslo Accords: the existence of large areas outside the authority of Palestinian and Israeli powers. Palestine
How the pandemic, plummeting oil prices could reshape Middle East COVID-19 will weaken fragile states, raising risk of failure but creating openings for diplomacy. Saudi Arabia
Assyrian new year canceled in Syria amid fear of coronavirus outbreak Syriac and Assyrian authorities suspended New Year festivities and called on people not to gather for celebrations. Syria
2 million jobless as coronavirus batters Turkish economy, opposition leader says Turkey's president is facing pressure from the opposition to impose a nationwide lockdown. Turkey
