The Middle East has become a leading manufacturing hub for these weapons. Who are the countries leading this race?

Are these weapons changing the character of war?

When the PLO leader was forced out of Beirut in the 1980s, he did so with pride, purpose, and sorrow. After signals that Hamas leaders may be exiled from Gaza, could history be a guide?

Military might alone has rarely been enough to end conflicts. History shows that there is no military solution without a political one.

Since 7 October, Gaza's rulers have gone from trumpeting its Al-Aqsa Flood attack to untrumpeted offers to lay down its weapons and become a political group only. It is a dramatic change of stance.

The answer is a resounding no. But an achievable objective is to turn it into a marginal irritant instead of a major threat.

The Israeli 'targeted killings' policy is controversial. Human rights activists see it as an 'extrajudicial execution', but Israel regards it as a legitimate act of self-defence

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.