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
Strategy of the radical right to pass Knesset-entry threshold The reunion of the radical right Otzma Yehudit party with HaBayit HaYehudi could open Knesset doors to nationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir. Israel
Long road still before Israel-Hamas arrangement Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs quiet on the Gaza Strip, but fears saying publicly that he’s in favor of an arrangement with Hamas. Palestine
Critics say Assad unlikely to suffer under Caesar sanctions The Syrian opposition backs the Caesar Act, recently approved by the United States, but questions whether the US administration is serious about implementing it and how it might affect the Syrian government and its allies. Syria
Why pastrami’s eastern version still rekindles rivalry The traditional taste of a spicy cured beef, pastirma, one of the most powerful cold cuts in the world, finds its place in new recipes. Egypt
Iranian sculptor builds statues for humanity, not auctions For over four decades, Iranian Kurdish sculptor Hadi Ziaoddini has sought to keep his art human and untainted by profit and politics. Iran
Iraq on brink of abyss: What happens next? The steadily increasing crisis in Iraq is getting deeper over time, opening the space for a total political collapse. Iraq
Will Iran take up Trump’s offer to ‘make a deal together’? President Donald Trump may be ready for another deal with Iran, and if so, Tehran’s leaders should take him up on it. Iraq
US re-ups support for Sinai mission The United States will continue to fund peacekeeping efforts in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula despite concerns over Russia's influence in the region. Egypt
Soaring fuel prices make Syrian winter even colder Facing a harsh winter, people in rebel-held areas of Syria are having an especially hard time as the currency's value has plummeted and prices have skyrocketed. Syria
Barham resignation would bring more chaos to Iraq Iraqi President Barham Salih threatened to resign amid the country's failure to form a new government. Iraq
Yemeni local tribal mediation succeeds in releasing 135 prisoners Hopes rise for a tribal role to be played in negotiating a cease-fire in Yemen, after local mediation succeeded in achieving several prisoner swap deals between the warring sides. Saudi Arabia
Stateless Jerusalemites call on Jordan to restore their citizenship Palestinians living in Jerusalem are concerned about their future and ways to protect themselves and their properties amid calls to have their Jordanian citizenship restored. Palestine
