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
Former IDF chief takes position as Netanyahu's top rival In his well-rehearsed first speech former IDF chief Benny Gantz presented himself as the primary challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
HTS takes over opposition police stations in northern Syria Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has told officers of the Free Syrian Police in northern Syria to hand over their stations and join the Islamic police, or find new jobs. Syria
As Iraqi army retreats to borders, local police controls cities' security As the security situation improves in Iraq, the Iraqi army is handing security of the cities to the local police. Iraq
Former generals join forces ahead of Israeli elections In a recent speech, former IDF chief Benny Gantz announced himself as a viable alternative and worthy challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel
Pressured by settlers, Netanyahu ejects Hebron observers With elections right around the corner, it has become much easier for the settlers to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do their bidding and let them rule downtown Hebron. Palestine
Top Democrat on foreign affairs shoots down pro-Palestinian trips House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., is unwilling to approve a proposed congressional delegation to the West Bank. Palestine
US intel assessment suggests Trump's Iran policy not working A new US intelligence assessment suggests that the Donald Trump administration’s Iran policy is not achieving its goals and may in fact be counterproductive. Congress
Syrian Kurds tell Washington they may join forces with Assad if US pulls out of Syria A top Syrian Kurdish official said today that US-backed fighters will consider integrating with the Syrian army, a potential frustration to US policy in the country after troops withdraw. Syria
Iran’s defeat in Asian Cup sparks heated debate on political culture Iran's national soccer team had to pack its bags and head home from the AFC Asian Cup following their 3-0 defeat against Japan in a match replete with controversial scenes. Iran
Forgotten artisans of Beirut seek revival Beirut’s Armenian district, previously a vibrant center of craftsmanship and culture in the country, is going through a decline due to a lack of government planning, with only a few artisans escaping the downturn. Lebanon
Kurdish leaders scrabble for footing as Ankara pounds war drums Turkey says it has completed preparations to intervene in Syria's Manbij and the Kurdish-controlled area east of the Euphrates River. Syria
Ankara’s planned operation in northeast Syria remains murky Whether Ankara will stage an operation east of Euphrates depends on diplomatic efforts with Washington and Moscow. Iraq
