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
Intel: Pentagon chief says European-led Gulf initiative complements US On his first day on the job at the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that a fresh European-led initiative to defend ships transiting the Gulf was complementary to the Donald Trump administration’s separate efforts to gather allies to protect shipping in the region. United States
Turkey’s current account deficit shrinks, but budget gap widens Turkey’s chronic current account deficit has fallen to a 16-year low, but this ostensible improvement is hardly the outcome or harbinger of sound economic headway. Turkey
Intel: Why Russia is calling for rethinking Gulf security On Tuesday, Russia’s presidential envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov laid out Russia’s proposal for collective security in the Persian Gulf. Russia
Abbas preserves security coordination despite its, and his, unpopularity Ongoing security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian Authority is one of the wonders of the complex relationship between the two parties. Palestine
Unease in Iran as 'Trump's duplicate' becomes British PM While politicians in Tehran were seeking a new opening with the UK after Boris Johnson found his way to 10 Downing Street, Iran's media received the news with little enthusiasm. Iran
Iraq seeks Iranian assistance to curb militias' reign Iraq's prime minister made a surprise visit to Tehran to request Iranian help in controlling Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Iraq
Hamas, let down by the Gulf states, revisits ties with Syria Hamas’ leaders have been exploring the restoration of ties with Syria in light of Gulf countries' engagement with the United States on a peace deal and therefore their increasing normalization of relations with Israel. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt evaluates digital upgrades, prepares for more The Egyptian government is reporting advances toward achieving its goal of digital transformation in all sectors. Egypt
Israel accelerates demolition of Palestinian homes The Netanyahu government accelerates the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, while increasing construction in settlements. Palestine
Syrians in Kurdish areas feel military service is unfair The Kurdish self-administration in Syria issued a new law forcing the youth to join military service. Iraq
University staff in Egypt receive military training Universities in Egypt are required to send their staff members seeking promotions to attend training sessions at the Nasser Higher Military Academy, raising controversy over the growing role and influence of the army in the country. Egypt
Hamas, Israel agree on Gaza hospital, vexing Shtayyeh Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and his Cabinet are opposed to a Gaza Strip hospital proposed by Israel and the United States, but may not have much of a say in the matter. Palestine
