Israel-Gaza war: What has a month of bloodshed wrought?

Hamas had demonstrated it was a capable military force, said Sam Cranny-Evans, a military analyst at the Rusi think tank. “From a purely military standpoint, Hamas has been professionalised to some degree, getting to grips with what it means to face the Israel Defence Forces and do that in a professional sense,” he said. But beyond that the conflict had also galvanised resistance against the West in the Middle East with increased attacks on US bases in Iraq. “That those organisations feel bold enough to step up those attacks says something about the way the West is perceived in the Middle East,” said Mr Cranny-Evans.