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 says missiles remain 'nonnegotiable' and vows more nuclear deal breaches Iran has dismissed US claims that it is ready to negotiate its controversial missile program, as the country's supreme leader defiantly says more nuclear deal commitments will be breached. United States
Will Erdogan risk an operation in Syria? Turkish media reports suggest that an incursion by the Turkish army east of the Euphrates is imminent. Syria
Istanbul soup kitchen serves hope to homeless A former homeless survivor of rape and other violence not only got herself off the streets but established a foundation to help others do the same. Turkey
Iraq plans to launch pipelines to export oil through Jordan, Syria Iraq plans to diversify its oil exports via new pipelines through Jordan and Syria. Iraq
Hamas set to counter Israel’s systematic campaigns The Hamas movement abroad has announced its intention to develop a plan aimed at countering Israel’s systematic campaigns that are affecting the movement at several levels. Legacy: Gulf
Improved Turkish-Chinese ties come at a cost to Uighurs Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rhetoric on protecting Uighurs' human rights has become subdued as he attempts to lure Chinese investment and other funds to Turkey. Turkey
Syrian Kurdistan focus of foreign diplomatic attention The United States, Britain, France and Saudi Arabia are seeing eye to eye on proposals to secure northeastern Syria. Syria
Where should Israeli Arabs spend the summer? So long as the Israeli government does not solve the severe housing shortage of its Arab citizens, it is logical that Arab families will try to upgrade their lives by moving to Jewish localities. Israel
How will Hamas react to Israel’s admission of error in killing of militant? Israel admitted that it mistakenly killed a Hamas operative near the border fence with Gaza, a move that Palestinians did not accept — although Hamas seems to have delayed retaliation to allow Israel to commit to the truce understandings. Palestine
EU, Iran try to stand ground against Trump’s sanctions The countries working to save the Iranian nuclear deal have various reasons for doing so, and one could be concern that US President Donald Trump’s unilateral decisions won’t stop with Tehran. United States
Trump’s defense pick calls for US-led pact to deter Iran Army Secretary Mark Esper, auditioning for the Pentagon’s top job Tuesday, called on allies to join the United States in fighting Iranian malfeasance in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu to pass Ben-Gurion in time served, but not in stature Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, and its incumbent prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who will soon break the record set by the former as the country's longest-serving premier, represent opposing worldviews and aspirations. Israel
