The recent US failure to muster a two-third’s majority for a UN resolution condemning Hamas violence was not taken lightly by the terrorist group. While it celebrated the result, it did not lose sight of the dramatic change in the numbers: Many more countries voted for censuring Hamas than voted against. The organization’s international isolation was again manifest in full view.

Still, external difficulties are the least of Hamas’s concerns. Internally, it faces mounting criticism for its failure to provide the basic needs of the Gaza Strip’s two million residents – with water, electricity, health services and employment topping the list. As demonstrated by last month’s round of violence along the Israel-Gaza border, misery breeds violence. And although Hamas has managed to channel that misery against Israel, indications are that it is quite worried about an Arab Spring-like uprising turning against its rule.

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