Petraeus says post-war Israeli occupation of Gaza likely ‘inescapable’ 

Israel will likely have to occupy Gaza post-war, due to fears Hamas would reestablish a stronghold in the region, according to former CIA director and military expert David Petraeus. 

“This is about ensuring that Hamas cannot reconstitute itself,” Petraeus said. 

Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sat down with Petraeus for an event the think tank hosted Tuesday, where the two discussed the United States’ role in international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.  

While Petraeus echoed the Biden administration’s concerns that Israeli occupation of Gaza would be unfavorable, he admitted that it is likely inevitable, at least post-war, because he didn’t believe there would be a Palestinian rule that could effectively rebuild and restructure Gaza. 

“I don’t see the prospect of a competent, capable Palestinian administration coming in, which is of course what you would want,” he said. 

The alternative would be a Palestine run by militant group Hamas, in the absence of a post-war Israeli occupation. 

To mitigate the threat of a Hamas rule, Petraeus said the Israelis need to keep a close watch on what is going on in Gaza, which they’d be unable to do from Israel. 

“You’re going to have to keep a very close eye, and you are not going to be able to do that from Israel,” he said.  

Tuesday’s event followed similar comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after being asked about Biden’s comment that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza post-war. 

“I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it,” Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC.  

Although Petraeus and others see reoccupation as the only way out, he acknowledged that it will not be without its struggles. 

“It is going to be very, very challenging, but I fear it is going to be inescapable,” he said. 

During the conversation, Petraeus was unable to propose solutions for the Israeli military that would mitigate the number of Palestinian civilian deaths.   

With tunnels under Gaza, refugee camps, and Hamas using civilians and hostages as shields, Petraeus said, “The context truly could not be more challenging.” 

“There is inevitably going to be enormous loss of civilian life and damage to civilian infrastructure [because] Hamas is willing to use civilians as human shields, so that is a challenge,” he said.  

Despite the growing influence the U.S. has in conflicts across the globe, Petraeus said he had faith that the nation was not overextending itself. 

“I think the number of challenges and the complexity of the challenges is greater than any time since WWII,” he said. “But I do not think we are overstretched.”