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
Iraqi government officials, clerics unite against COVID-19 Iraq's religious establishment is supporting and working closely with the government to contain the COVID-19 pandemic's spread, though a minority of clerics are disregarding precautions and spreading disinformation among the public. Iraq
Does Turkey have the will to take on jihadis in Idlib? Turkey and Russia will continue to be at odds in Syria's Idlib due to radical groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Syria
WHO warns Yemen of pending 'explosion' of COVID-19 cases Yemen's rival governments are doing what they can to prepare for the arrival of the coronavirus, but the country's long civil war has taken its toll on resources and people. Yemen
Meet the women of the Knesset's Joint List Out of the Joint List’s 15 members in the Knesset, four are women, and, despite the obstacles they face, they are determined to pursue their agendas in the Knesset. Israel
Al-Aqsa Mosque closed to Muslim worshippers to protect their lives The Jerusalem-based Islamic Waqf Council has managed to close Al-Aqsa Mosque because of the coronavirus outbreak, amid fears that Jewish extremists would take advantage of the crisis. Palestine
How Israel's media fails the country amid coronavirus, political crises With political and health crises gripping Israel, the media has shirked its responsibility to challenge government officials and report the facts. Israel
Intel: What was Russia’s defense minister doing in Syria? Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu just paid a visit to Damascus for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria
Chaos in Israel’s Knesset as speaker defies top court The speaker of the Knesset rejects the Israeli High Court's firm suggestion that a vote be held for his position within two days; now the court must decide whether to order such a vote. Israel
Virtual pleasures: Egypt’s art and culture scenes move online Members of the Egyptian entertainment industry and cultural sector, hoping to keep busy and keep people indoors, are developing programming to make staying at home a little easier. Egypt
Intel: Coronavirus forces partial US troop drawdown in Iraq The US-led global coalition to defeat the Islamic State announced today that the coronavirus pandemic has forced “temporary adjustments” in the mission against the terrorist group. Iraq
Kurdish-led northeast under lockdown as Syria announces first coronavirus case The Kurdish-led autonomous administration declares a two-week curfew in an effort to keep the coronavirus out of northeast Syria; Turkey cuts off water supply to Hasakah. Syria
Jordan to launch doorstep food deliveries during round-the-clock lockdown Jordan extends its round-the-clock curfew indefinitely in an effort to combat the novel coronavirus. Jordan
![JERUSALEM - MARCH 15: Muslims perform prayer outside the Al-Aqsa Mosque after the Islamic Waqf Department announced to close the enclosed prayer places as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Jerusalem on March 15, 2020. According to the statement, all prayers remain to be held in the [outdoor] courtyard and all doors will be open to worshipers. (Photo by Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/03/GettyImages-1207229346.jpg/GettyImages-1207229346.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=NVQllSGq)
