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
Erdogan touts grand plans to resettle Syrian refugees in safe zone Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims a safe zone in northeast Syria could be used to resettle up to three million refugees currently in Turkey and Europe, but critics doubt his proposal is feasible. Syria
Iran defends strikes on Saudi oil facility but denies role While flatly denying any role in the twin strikes on Saudi oil facilities, Iran finds no drawback in firmly standing by the Shiite Houthi rebels for what it views as their exercise of the right to retaliate against Saudi attacks. Saudi Arabia
Imposition of election date signals end to Algerian government patience Algerians protested the decision to hold elections in December as their demands are left unmet and many activists and opposition members linger in jail. Algeria
Has Erdogan revealed Ankara’s occupational goals? Syrian Kurds and Armenians fear a Turkish-run safe zone east of the Euphrates, particularly since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had threatened to establish a military safe zone east of the Euphrates and labels the Kurdish People's Protection Units as terrorists. Syria
Imprisoned Hamas members end 2-week hunger strike The senior leadership of Hamas prisoners said the prisoners have ended their hunger strike after receiving assurances from the Israel Prison Service to stop using cellphone jamming devices, but Israeli media portray the strike as having little effect. Palestine
Was Netanyahu’s controversial visit to Hebron worth election efforts? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes a rare visit to the West Bank city of Hebron, drawing anger among Palestinians who warn against Israel’s efforts to extend sovereignty over Hebron’s Old City. Palestine
Will Israel cut electricity supply to West Bank? The West Bank has started to witness partial electricity cuts as the Israel Electricity Corporation claims debt owed by the Jerusalem District Electricity Company. Palestine
Why Egypt's construction boom creates ghost towns Egyptian leaders from Anwar to Sisi have attempted — and failed — to build lavish cities to relocate dense urban populations. Egypt
Are Egypt's star-studded festivals losing their shine? Egypt has been known for its star-studded festivals and concerts. Lately, however, many regional celebrities have been staying away. Egypt
Self-proclaimed marja riles other Iranian ayatollahs Conservative ayatollahs in Qom, Iran, are losing patience with one of their own because he deems himself a marja, or top religious authority, and because of his secular leanings. Iran
Congress wants answers after 10 bomb-sniffing dogs die in Jordan Congress is demanding answers after an inspector general report showed that a number of bomb-sniffing dogs from the United States have died from neglect in Jordan. Jordan
