David Petraeus, former director of the CIA, affirmed the importance of maintaining Israeli control over the Philadelphia Corridor, located on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
This was reported by the Israel Hayom publication.
He noted that this is necessary until a reliable security system is created that can prevent the restoration of the influence of Hamas and other extremist groups in the area.
“The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Sinai is also under Israeli control and this must be addressed. The task is not yet completed. If the goal is to eliminate the influence of Hamas in this region, then security must be ensured and, unfortunately, “This can only be done in Israel,” Petraeus said.
He warned Israel against a rapid withdrawal from Gaza and recalled how a similar mistake was made during the operation in Iraq. According to him, a situation in which troops clear an area of the enemy and then abandon it invariably leads to a vacuum that is filled by extremist groups.
The general raised the idea of creating protective barrier zones in Gaza, based on strategies used in Iraq. In his opinion, this could ensure long-term security and reduce the likelihood of recurrence of violent conflicts.
Petraeus also presented a long-term strategy for Gaza that would include a Palestinian security force under American leadership and Israeli supervision. At the same time, he stressed that leaving these territories without such control would be extremely inappropriate.
Previously, Cursor wrote that, according to Defense Minister Yoav Galant, Hamas is waging a guerrilla war without centralized command. However, he emphasizes that Israeli authorities continue to fight terrorists and are actively searching for Hamas terrorist leaders.
