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
Looming coronavirus threat adds to Turkey’s economic woes Turkey’s economic recovery is facing fresh threats from the global impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has already reached the country’s eastern neighbor Iran, coupled with war jitters from Turkey’s deepening military involvement in Syria. Turkey
Idlib operation splits Turks more than other Syria interventions Opinion polls show mixed feelings about Turkey’s declaration of a major offensive in Syria after an attack killed dozens of its soldiers. Public attention has also shifted hundreds of miles away to its borders with Europe after the government invited millions of refugees to leave. Syria
Israeli threats escalate against Hamas Israeli officials have recently increased their threat of a wide-scale military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, prompting the movement to take precautionary measures. Palestine
Egypt bans Shiite websites to deter extremist ideologies An Egyptian court has banned Shiite websites and TV channels, under the pretext that they threaten national security, stirring controversy among Shiites in Egypt. Egypt
Syrians in northern Aleppo terrified as regime advances Displaced Syrians and Aleppo natives alike are living in fear that the Syrian regime and its allies will invade their last refuge and set off a humanitarian catastrophe. Syria
Intel: What is Russia's next move after Turkish attack on Syrian forces? Russian military police units were reportedly deployed to the town of Saraqeb in northwestern Syria on March 2. Originals
Opposition to Bernie Sanders draws out bipartisan unity at AIPAC AIPAC has struggled to maintain its bipartisan stature on Capitol Hill recently, but rallying Democrats and Republicans against Bernie Sanders has given it a new opportunity. Palestine
Pentagon says US will not retaliate for Turkey in Syria The United States will not take direct action in Syria despite a dramatic uptick in violence and calls for an immediate no-fly zone over Idlib, which would require the Pentagon to take out aircraft and airfields. Syria
Thousands stranded at Greek border as Ankara pressures EU over Idlib escalation Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said border security would continue to stand down Monday as thousands of refugees and migrants attempt to enter Greece by land and sea. Syria
Coronavirus puts more pressure on Iran’s already strained economy Amid ongoing economic strain due to sanctions, mismanagement and corruption, the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus presents additional challenges. Iran
The bitter victory of Israel’s Arab party Members of the Arab Joint List are proud of their achievement of 15 Knesset seats, but are deeply disappointed over the failure of the left-wing camp. Israel
Can Liberman reinvent himself again in Israeli politics? Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman has pledged not to sit in a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, but also not to join one supported by the Arab Joint List, creating a dilemma that could lead to an unappealing fourth round of elections. Israel
