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
Syrian FSA fighters graduate from universities after years out of school Factions of the Free Syrian Army are supporting their fighters to return to school and graduate, as part of efforts to promote education among their fighters. Syria
Dahlan complicates Abbas' plans for Palestinian elections The upcoming Palestinian elections are expected to stir a new confrontation between Fatah and Mohammed Dahlan’s movement should the reconciliation efforts exerted by some Arab countries fail to unify the Fatah movement. Palestine
Visitors can begin to follow Jesus along Egypt's Holy Family Trail Cairo has completed work on the first stops on the Holy Family Trail, a path connecting locations believed to have been visited by the Holy Family 2,000 years ago while fleeing King Herod’s soldiers. Egypt
King Abdullah engaged regional leaders in preparation for Biden’s presidency In the week ahead of President Joe Biden's inauguration, Jordan engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity. Jordan
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham challenges FSA in northwestern Syria After taking hold of Idlib, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham sought to expand control over the Free Syrian Army-held areas in the Aleppo countryside by marketing its alleged security and civil administration successes and the lack of security in the FSA areas. Originals
Egypt says it is renewing diplomatic relations with Qatar Qatar Airways also announced the resumption of its Cairo route as the Gulf rift comes closer to an official end. Qatar
The Takeaway: Who goes first in return to Iran nuclear deal? Iran President Hassan Rouhani says ‘we are ready’; US Secretary of State designate Blinken says Iranian compliance, consultations with allies critical to new deal; Al-Monitor archive interviews with two members of Biden team; Egypt’s animal problems. Iran
What Democrats' Senate majority means for the Mideast Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez opposed the Iran nuclear deal and has been a proponent of the US recognizing the Armenian genocide. Congress
US soldier arrested for allegedly advising Islamic State on attacks Pfc. Cole James Bridges' arrest comes amid renewed scrutiny on extremism in the military. United States
Biden team picks Dana Stroul to lead Pentagon's Middle East desk Stroul, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will join a roster of Obama-era veterans when she returns to the Pentagon. Syria
Biden ends Trump’s ban on travel from Muslim-majority countries Immigration advocates hailed Biden's decision, but said undoing the effects of the travel ban won’t happen overnight. United States
Trump issues pardons related to Israeli spying, Iran sanctions on last day in office The now former president pardoned the Israeli handler of American spy Jonathan Pollard as well as an Iranian-American man who was charged with violating Iran sanctions, among dozens of others. Israel
