The long-term effect of the Gaza war is hard to predict, but it will have regional and global repercussions at different levels

Without dismantling Hamas, the conflict will continue and there will be no unified governance for the Palestinians

Egypt has been caught in a dilemma for weeks about opening the Rafah crossing into Gaza

Hopes to benefit from greater regional cooperation and deeper economic ties with Israel are shattered, just as joblessness hits 23% and growth has stalled. How it handles the crisis will now be key.

Israel's bombing was too aggressive, and then its ground campaign faltered, while a unified Arab response and wider international unease have transformed international politics in the region.

Hamas can continue fighting without much military or financial support, or it can opt for a political solution to end the war via negotiations, which could effectively lead to their expulsion.

In the wake of each Israeli mass exile of Palestinians, Ismail Shammout's masterpieces reverberate in our mind's eye. At the forefront stands his famed 1953 depiction, which tells a poignant story.

While Palestinian heritage faces tight restrictions today, it grows ever more robustly, manifesting in every space that attempts to squash it – emboldened by such futile efforts.