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
And if Netanyahu scores a landslide victory? According to his rivals, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a plan in the case that he wins the elections: He will empty the law enforcement system of all its powers. Israel
Socks for tourists, jobs for refugees in Jordan Two young entrepreneurs in Jordan get women in refugee camps to knit socks for tourists. Jordan
Young Israeli voters hypnotized by Netanyahu’s narrative From an early age in school, future Israeli voters are inculcated with the narrative pushed by Benjamin Netanyahu, resulting in a conservative young generation with intolerant tendencies. Palestine
Assad retakes M5 highway at great cost to civilians The Syrian government has taken control of the Damascus-Aleppo highway for the first time in eight years, but the cities and towns along this critical M5 have been devastated by the regime's brutal march toward victory. Syria
Why is Egypt building a wall along its border with Gaza? Although it coincides with Washington’s Mideast peace plan, observers and experts say they believe that safeguarding and boosting national security are the real reasons behind Egypt's decision to build a new wall along its border with the Gaza Strip. Palestine
Why is holding early elections a nearly impossible task in Iraq? Despite the promises of the Iraqi designate prime minister to hold early elections, it seems impossible to move forward with it. Iraq
Jordan, Qatar close ranks following emir’s visit Aside from the economic benefits for Jordan from the full normalization of ties with Qatar, King Abdullah, by hosting Qatar’s emir, is looking for regional allies to confront Trump’s peace plan. Qatar
Gaza rebrands border protests to resist US peace plan Palestinians are preparing to resume the march of return along the Gaza border with Israel under a new name and expanded to include resistance to the US peace plan. Palestine
Real estate market booms as wave of displaced flock into Syria’s al-Bab The city of al-Bab in Aleppo’s northeastern countryside is welcoming thousands of displaced persons who are fleeing the fighting in Idlib and western Aleppo and searching for housing. Syria
Hamas-Russia meeting in Doha riles PA The Palestinian Authority has accused Hamas of going over its head in meeting with Russian officials about the US peace plan. Palestine
Can this veteran singer save Kurdish people's forgotten tunes? Kurdish singer Mazhar Khaliqi says the Kurds should use globalization and technology to carry their musical tradition beyond the borders of the Middle East. Iraq
Dismissed civil servants continue fight to restore rights in Turkey In recent weeks, Ankara has eased travel restrictions for some citizens prosecuted in Turkey’s post-coup crackdown, yet thousands of dismissed civil servants continue to struggle for their right to work. Turkey
