Christian Science Monitor: West conceded defeat in face of Hamas resolve

US daily Christian Science Monitor acknowledged that the American efforts to isolated Hamas have been failed, suggesting the officials to engage in talks with the powerful Palestinian movement.

"The policy of isolating Hamas and applying sanctions to Gaza has been a predictable failure,' the daily wrote.

Hamas's ruling in Gaza "has been strengthened" despite "the already-tight sanctions, imposed following the Islamists' January 2006 electoral victory, have been tightened further," it wrote, adding that "Israel has hardly been alone," in the process.

"The logic behind the policy was that by putting pressure on Hamas, they could prevent rocket launches into Israel. This would demonstrate to the Palestinian people that Hamas could not deliver and ought not be trusted. The hope was that the West Bank, buoyed by economic growth, a loosening of Israeli security measures, not to mention a revived peace process, would serve as an attractive countermodel. But the theory has not delivered on any of these counts."

The daily acknowledged that Hamas "has come close to establishing an effective monopoly on the use of force and a near-monopoly on open political activity."

"It has refashioned the legal and legislative systems. And it enjoys freer rein to shape society through management of the health, education, and religious sectors," it added.

The author of the daily claimed that the isolation policy has eroded Hamas popularity, but added that despite the claim, Gazans' anger "continues to be directed at Israel and the West, as well as at Fatah, which many see as complicit in the siege."

The daily then suggests the West must change its approach towards the elected and popular government in Gaza.

"It's time to stop digging this hole. Maintaining extreme pressure on Hamas in the hope of undermining its rule or stopping the rockets has gone nowhere. A new direction is needed – one that attempts to stabilize the situation by engaging the movement with the immediate goal of reaching a mutual cease-fire and the opening of Gaza's border crossings."

"Engaging Hamas may provide the Islamists with greater international recognition, but acknowledging its role also could mean increasing leverage on it. As it stands, Hamas has nothing to lose," the author suggests.