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
How long can Abbas hold firm on security coordination with Israel? Israel's security establishment is well aware of the pressure being exerted on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to halt security coordination with Israel, which is why Israel must exert intense efforts to assist him. Palestine
Turks question ‘quake taxes’ after deadly tremor Turkey’s citizens have paid billions of liras in special taxes introduced after a massive quake disaster in 1999, but two decades on, the country still has a long way to go in quake-proofing buildings and other precautionary measures. Turkey
Protests break out in Jordan against Trump’s 'deal of the century' Jordan immediately rejected US President Donald Trump’s long touted middle east peace plan, insisting that the two-state solution is the only way to guarantee Palestinians their full human rights. Palestine
Jordan fears long-term threat to its national security following Trump’s peace plan No sooner had President Donald Trump unveiled his Middle East peace plan than Jordan reacted, warning against the dangerous repercussions such deal will have on the kingdom and on the region as a whole. Palestine
Libyan divide deepens as eastern forces shut down oil ports As the Libyan National Army accused the Government of National Accord and Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation of spending its revenues on mercenaries to fight along their ranks, the tribes in eastern Libya shut down multiple oil ports and demanded a new distribution of oil revenues. Libya
Lebanon lags behind regional countries in gas sector Important planned developments in Lebanon’s oil and gas sector were postponed this month, adding to delays in the industry. Lebanon
Syrian children labor to support families torn apart by war Syrian children who lost their parents during the war are forced to work in difficult conditions to care for their struggling families. Syria
Democratic leaders hold fire on Trump’s Mideast peace plan Pro-Israel Democrats are holding their fire on President Donald Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal despite some reservations. Palestine
Trump peace plan rollout at White House had Mar-A-Lago feel Trump's peace plan, rolled out with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu but with no Palestinians present, would give the Palestinians no border with Jordan. Palestine
Intel: Congress piles on the Pentagon over possible North Africa drawdown The leaders of the House and Senate foreign affairs panels today expressed concern over a possible Pentagon plan to draw down US troops in Africa, which could impact plans to fight terror in Tunisia and Morocco. North Africa
Abbas caught between rock and hard place as Trump unveils Mideast plan A strong Palestinian response to the Mideast peace plan requires national unity, which is currently lacking among Palestinian factions. Palestine
Families languish in winter winds, legal limbo at Syria's Islamic State camp Al-Hol, the northeastern Syrian camp that houses thousands of wives and children of Islamic State fighters, is an increasingly desolate and violent place where a looming humanitarian crisis is smothering what hope is left. Syria
