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
Iran operating new advanced centrifuges, nuclear watchdog finds According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report, Iran is now using IR-4 centrifuges to enrich uranium in violation of the nuclear accord. Iran
UN says Libya arms embargo 'totally ineffective' A United Nations panel of experts accused several member states, including Turkey and Russia, of fueling the Libyan conflict. Libya
Riyadh Agreement divides Yemenis in Sanaa Civilians in Sanaa feel frustrated at the Riyadh Agreement recently signed between the main partners of the Saudi-led coalition that will unite them against the Houthis. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan’s US welcome sparks fear Trump will halt Turkey sanctions As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the White House today amid protest from Congress, aides in Congress and experts lose faith that President Donald Trump will impose automatic sanctions on Turkey for taking delivery of a Russian air defense system over four months ago. Turkey
Killing of Islamic Jihad senior: Gantz falls into Netanyahu's trap Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must have considered beforehand what would exactly happen as a result of the elimination of Islamic Jihad senior Bahaa Abu el-Atta, including the elimination of the option of a minority government under Benny Gantz. Palestine
Hamas sits out Islamic Jihad escalation in favor of deal with Israel The latest escalation in Gaza showed where Israel and Hamas' interests converge, as neither wants to see Islamic Jihad gain too much power. Palestine
How Palestinians view Trump refusal to resume PA security aid The Palestinians are certain that Trump’s refusal to resume financial support for Palestinian security is personal and has been going on for a while. Palestine
Erdogan heads for Washington, where Trump's hands already full Turkey’s president is on his way to Washington in a bid to salvage battered ties, but despite his positive chemistry with the US president, the Turkish leader is likely to hit a wall. Turkey
Islamic Jihad leader's elimination serves both Netanyahu, Hamas Hamas' silence amid the violence with Israel indicates that the rulers of Gaza are shedding no tears over the fate of assassinated Islamic Jihad leader Bahaa Abu el-Atta, and the escalation is benefitting Israel's embattled prime minister as well. Palestine
Intel: What Russia’s defense minister is up to in Egypt Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is leading a military delegation to Egypt for the sixth session of the two countries' joint commission on defense cooperation. Egypt
Eastern Syria fighters accused of brutality after videos emerge The commander of Ahrar al-Sharqiya, an armed faction whose fighters have been accused of extrajudicial killings, spoke to Al-Monitor about his militants' relationship to the eastern Deir ez-Zor region. Syria
Egypt boosts ties with Syria In response to Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, the Egyptian parliament hosted Syrian Ambassador to Egypt Bassam Darwish in a move to show its official support for Syria against Turkey, and as a prelude to better diplomatic relations. Egypt
IDF says it had no choice but to kill Islamic Jihad senior The Israeli military operation to kill Islamic Jihad commander Bahaa Abu al-Atta was planned months in advance, after a series of rockets were fired toward Israel, including on Ashdod while Prime Minister Benjamin was delivering a speech there. Palestine
Israel’s Gaza policy: a recipe for escalation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading a caretaker government that shouldn’t last long, yet he authorized a complicated operation that generated a barrage of Gaza rockets. Palestine
