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 2020: unconventional love In a multicultural, multi-ethnic state like Israel, there are all kinds of "mixed couples," who overcome prejudice together. Israel
US blacklists new leader of Iran-backed Iraqi militia The successor of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah has been designated as a global terrorist by the United States. Iraq
The Takeaway: February 26, 2020 Coronavirus deepens Iran’s confidence crisis; Ethiopia bails on US-brokered meeting with Egypt; Israeli opposition uses Erdogan video in campaign attack ad against Bibi; and more! Originals
Russia explores way to draw UAE, Saudi Arabia to its Syria policies As relations with Turkey stall, Moscow seeks ways to engage with the Saudis and Emiratis to have them back in the Syrian game. Saudi Arabia
Pentagon dismisses Syria re-engagement amid Idlib showdown The US administration shot down the idea that it will send troops back into Syria amid assurances from the secretary of state that the United States is "working" with Turkey on the "complicated" situation. Syria
Erdogan renews threat to hit Syrian troops to stop advance in Idlib The Turkish president has again warned Syria it has until the end of this month to halt its Russia-backed offensive against opposition forces that has pushed nearly a million people to the Turkish border. Syria
Israeli Arabs resist Netanyahu's last-minute campaign For Israeli Arabs, last-minute efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit their towns and villages just before the March 2 elections are simply a pointless insult. Israel
Iran accuses enemies of coronavirus scaremongering Tehran is tossing around accusations of fomenting panic over the coronavirus epidemic as the country's biggest holiday approaches. Iran
Idlib and the collapse of Erdogan’s foreign policy Gambling on Russia to secure results in Syria turns out to be Ankara’s biggest miscalculation Syria
Confidence vote first of many challenges ahead of Iraq's PM designate Iraq's designated Prime Minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi will face off against multiple challenges as political disputes over nominations to his Cabinet have already formed. Iraq
Intel: Uproar in Israel as Erdogan stars in anti-Netanyahu campaign video A video comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has set off a political storm in Israel. Israel
Why Iraq may opt to avoid lawsuit over Soleimani killing Iraqi political parties have abstained from involving Iraq in the preparation of a judicial file involving the assassination of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iraq
![-PHOTO TAKEN 10APR06- Palestinian Muslim Osama Zatar, 26, spends some quiet time with his Israeli Jew wife, Jasmin Avissar, 25, near the West Bank village of Qarawat Bani Zeid near Ramallah, April 10, 2006. The couple's "Romeo and Juliet" struggle to live together is a rare tale of cross-border love in a land riven by years of [violence] between Israel and Palestinians. Picture taken April 10, 2006. - PBEAHUNNQCY](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/03/RTXOLB9.jpg/RTXOLB9.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=ffuCtjJL)
