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As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to intensify, a major development has changed the nexus of the conflict with Israel downing an unmanned aerial vehicle or commonly known as a drone.

The Washington Post, on Monday reported that, the drone launch was believed to have been the first time that the group has sent an unmanned aerial vehicle into Israeli airspace, after the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah did the same last year. Monday’s drone was shot down by a U.S.-supplied Patriot missile.

“I think they’re getting frustrated,” said Danny Danon, Israel’s deputy minister of defense. “They’re still looking for a success.”

After firing hundreds of rockets into Israel, Hamas and its allies have had to alter its retaliation against Israel, as its Iron Dome system have made rocket fire into Israel ineffective.

The Iron Dome Rocket System as reported by Global Security is designed to track and shoot down missiles fired at Israeli cities. It was fielded in April 2011. The system’s intercepting missile is dubbed Tamir. The Israelis developed Iron Dome, and the United States committed more than $205 million to fielding the system. In March 2012, the U.S. Defense Department said the system was responsible for taking down 80 percent of several hundred rockets that militants in the Gaza Strip directed at Israel. The defense system was meant to block 95 percent of Qassam rockets and mortar shells fired at western Israeli cities.

The development of the Iron Dome system was in response to Israel’s war in Lebanon in 2006, when Hezbollah fired over 4,000 rockets into Northern Israel.  This also has coincided with Hamas firing over 4,000 into Israel between 2000 and 2007.

The United States has been signaling for all sides to show restraint, with President Obama stating that “everyone involved” should act in a sensible and measured way, rather than seek revenge or retaliation.”

The problem is the president’s Middle East strategy has been one of hopeful optimism and careful calculation that withdrawal by the United States would signal a new era, but has only sowed confusion and brought in other powers to fill the vacuum left by the U.S.

CBS News reported Senator McCain stressed that the U.S. must do what it can to end the conflict, which has raised fears of an all-out ground war in Gaza as Israeli troops amass on the border. But he said it’s “important to understand there’s no moral equivalency here,” and he praised Israel’s leaders for demonstrating an “admirable” sense of “restraint” in the conflict.

Potential Republican nominee for President, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie while attending a meeting of the National Governors Association commented on the ongoing crisis.

“Israel is not sure that they have America’s full support like they used to,” Christie said. “And that’s a real failure of this presidency, in my view. And I think the unrest you see in the Middle East is caused in some measure — not completely, but in some measure — by the fact that this president has not acted in a decisive, consistent way.”

Christie, not known for his foreign policy credentials has been speaking out more regarding international affairs, unfortunately both Republican and President Obama still have no strategic concept of how the Middle East operates beyond rhetorical campaign speeches.

What is needed is a fresh look at the region from the situation on the ground not what we hope it to be or what we wish it to be.

The time has come to have individuals who truly understand the region and its complex dynamics driving U.S. foreign policy.

Basically, bring in the professionals instead of amateurs from both political parties driving U.S. foreign policy.