Critics of the cease-fire reached Wednesday between Hamas and Israel argue that little has changed . For now , they say , the Egypt-brokered de-escalation has merely placed a Band-Aid over a seeping wound , restoring the status quo established after Israel 's Operation Cast Lead offensive of late 2008 . Certainly , we may well see the return of airstrikes and rockets ; the truce represents only a small first step toward a more durable solution . The nature of the agreement , however , points to a clear `` Arab Spring truth '' and a significant shift in regional dynamics : The international isolation of Hamas has ended . The influence exercised by Egypt , Turkey and Qatar was clearly instrumental in delivering this cease-fire . The role of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy , in particular , has been praised by Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton alike , with the latter commending Egypt 's government for `` assuming responsibility and leadership '' in de-escalating the crisis . Toward the end of 2011 , Hamas ' departure from Damascus was sealed when Meshaal refused to denounce the uprising against his former host and sponsor , Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . With its regional base and Iranian funding in jeopardy , Hamas has increasingly turned to its fellow Sunni allies in Egypt , Turkey and Qatar . The degree of influence that this troika of Arab Spring playmakers has over Hamas ' leaders , however , was revealed only by the recent crisis . The absence in negotiations of the Palestinian Authority and its president , Mahmoud Abbas , was telling . It shows that in a post-revolution Middle East , engagement with Hamas on its own is both feasible and tempting . Opinion : How to prevent the next clash with Hamas . In this respect , however , the Egyptian president missed the opportunity to get Abbas and Meshaal working together and further stalled efforts at Palestinian unity . That is the demand of the overwhelming majority of Palestinians . To be sure , Iran still has an important role to play with Hamas . Alongside Egypt -- and , remarkably , the U.S. -- Meshaal recognized on Wednesday the importance of Iran 's contribution to his movement 's efforts ( in the field of resistance , rather than resolution ) . He praised Tehran for providing the group with arms and financial support , despite `` differences between Iran and Hamas on issues connected with the conflict in Syria . '' In this respect , however , he is walking a fine line with his regional backers in order to keep his regional options open . It is worth remembering that Hamas is not a monolithic entity . Some within the movement are more focused on resistance , while others are focused on governance , reconciling with Fatah and reining in independent Gaza-based militants . This is something I heard privately in January 2011 in Gaza and subsequently when talking to some of Hamas ' senior political officials . The international community -- and Israel -- should work with the newly emerged regional troika of Egypt-Turkey-Qatar to engage with Hamas and strengthen Hamas 's pragmatic wing . Given the strength of its ties , though , Iran could still prove to be a spoiling influence . This initiative , as specified by Clinton , should focus on steps toward `` a just and lasting peace . '' Let us hope that the past week or so has renewed the Obama administration 's drive to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace . In the short term , this means pushing for Palestinian unity around a negotiating position and ending the blockade on Gaza , both of which the Qatari emir stressed in his landmark trip to Gaza last month . The continuation of this blockade helps no one , and the destitution it imposes on Gazans has only further radicalized much of the largely young population . About 80 % of Gaza 's households live on less than $ 2 a day , while 1.3 million or 80 % of its citizens receive some form of food aid . No wonder the U.N. recently declared that under current circumstances , the strip would be unlivable by 2020 , citing shortages of food , water electricity , jobs , hospital beds and classrooms . Opinion : Israel , engage Abbas now . If such conditions continue , Hamas may well resort to further rocket attacks against Israel 's southern communities or turn a blind eye to other groups launching such terror attacks . Groups such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad , the al-Aqsa Martyrs ' Brigades and the small but growing number of Salafi groups that have agreed to the cease-fire will pose a challenge to Hamas ' authority , especially if there is no progress on the ground . These international efforts begin with the implementation of the admittedly shaky cease-fire . Egypt has emphasized the importance of effectively ending the blockade on Gaza -- one of the conditions of the cease-fire document . In the post-Cast Lead border arrangement , Israel retained significant veto powers over the passage of people and the flow of goods through Egypt 's border crossings with Gaza . The new Egypt , however , has stressed the importance of formalizing the free flow of goods into and out of Gaza . In doing so , it wants to diminish the role of the `` informal '' tunnel economy , which , while generating large amounts of revenue for Hamas , has helped create an unstable situation in the Sinai badlands . If Israel now fails to deliver on its responsibilities regarding the conditions of the cease-fire , it risks not only a return to conflict but also losing the good will of Morsy .
In post-revolution Middle East , engagement with Hamas is feasible , Salman Shaikh says . Influence of Egypt , Turkey and Qatar was instrumental in delivering cease-fire , he says . Maintaining Gaza blockade only serves to further radicalize Gaza 's population , he says . Obama administration should push for Palestinian unity and end to blockade , he says .