For decades, Israel has been trying to defeat Hamas without success. After seven brutal months of war, it still exists. There is reason to think it always will.

In the wake of the war in Gaza, Hamas will not remain the group we know. It, and the broader Middle East landscape, are poised for significant transformation.

The political wing of the Gaza's embattled rulers has long been located abroad. After several homes and sporadic expulsions, reports suggest the Qatar-based officers could be packing their bags.

As the Israeli net closes in on Rafah, what are the remaining options for Hamas?

Much is made of links between Beijing and Tehran, but the true extent of their relations is more limited. Where there are alternatives, China takes them, with one eye on the US.

Deterring Iran and bolstering regional security will be the obvious and immediate goal of a US-Saudi defence treaty

Whenever Israel's devastating war in Gaza concludes or drastically subsides, Saudi Arabia will be eager to restart the US-led process of signing a strategic bilateral defence pact

Ahead of a possible US-Saudi defence agreement, it is worth remembering Roosevelt reassured the Saudi king over Palestine, only for Truman to renege on it two years later.

The enormous potential for military cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States

The Saudis have outlined their conditions for a true and binding pact. Such a pact is highly unlikely, not least because of the current US political atmosphere and the issue of US-Saudi mistrust.