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
Iran pares election roster in favor of hard-liners With less than a month until Iran's parliamentary elections, the already-dim chances for strong voter turnout are fast diminishing amid a sweeping removal of Reformist candidates from the competition. Iran
The electoral politics of Trump's peace and propaganda in Israel The Trump administration peace plan ignores the Arab Peace Initiative, the Quartet, the road map for peace, and foremost a true quest for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Palestine
Israel at the service of Putin, Russian World War II narrative The Russian Red Army's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II still beats proudly in the hearts of Russians, which is why Moscow sought to mark the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp on its own terms in Jerusalem. Israel
Both sides silent as military escalation continues east of Sanaa Both Yemen's government forces and the Houthi rebels have remained silent regarding the ongoing battles in Nahm district, east of the capital, Sanaa, but have accused each other of instigating attacks. Yemen
Israel’s Labor keeping distinct from political partner Meretz Despite the decision to run on a united list of the left, Israel's Labor party is actually pleased at the public differences of opinion with Meretz regarding the disqualification of Knesset member Heba Yazbak. Israel
What Israel gave to Russia in return for release of its national In order to get Naama Issachar released from a prison in Moscow, Israel broke its rule of not interfering in real estate disputes related to churches in Jerusalem. Israel
Hamas resumes explosive-laden balloons launched at Israel Hamas has resumed incendiary balloons flown across the border to pressure Israel to execute the truce understandings after a month of calm since Hamas halted its weekly protests along the Israeli-Gaza border. Palestine
As Iraq's protests continue, is political solution on the horizon? As the Iraqi government feels the pressure of protests, political leaders are moving toward forming a national front to resolve the Iraqi crisis. Iraq
Egypt-Turkey tensions continue to rise in wake of newsroom raid In a move that risks further threatening the already strained relations between Cairo and Ankara, Egyptian security forces raided the news office of the Turkish Anadolu Agency in Cairo and arrested several workers there, accusing them of being affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt
Egyptian army flexes muscle near border with Libya The latest military maneuvers held in Egypt come in light of Turkey’s decision to deploy troops to support Libya’s UN-backed government against the offensive led by Egyptian-backed military strongman Khalifa Hifter. Egypt
Cairo's streets silent on 9th anniversary of revolution Egyptian security forces closed down cafes, searched citizens and went through their phones ahead of the anniversary of the January 25 Revolution. Egypt
Trump 'deal of the century' still no deal for Palestinians With the unveiling of the Donald Trump administration's peace plan, Palestinian leaders have reiterate their categorical rejection of it, certain that it fulfills none of their demands toward statehood. Palestine
