(NewsNation) — The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar makes things temporarily more difficult for the peace process in Gaza because of a leadership vacuum, but a lasting peace will depend on the will of the Israeli coalition government, according to retired Army Gen. and former CIA Director David Petraeus.
“I don’t know who you talk to,” Petraeus told NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.” “Is there actually any central command and control communications? Will his (Sinwar’s) brother take over? Will he be able to establish control?”
In the long term, Petraeus said that peace is possible if the government of Benjamin Netanyahu commits to a “political vision for the future of Gaza” that would eliminate Hamas, bring in Arab forces to stabilize Gaza, train Palestinian security forces, organize humanitarian aid, start rebuilding and restore basic services.
But none of that will happen, he says, without making Gaza secure for its citizens.
“You’re going to have to go in and establish security. Without security, the future is just absolutely uncertain. And the political vision is lacking, and the future for the Palestinian people in Gaza is one of humanitarian catastrophe,” Petraeus said.
“Only if you do what I’m advocating here can you have a possibility of … Palestinians in Gaza, Israelis — Jews in particular — living side-by-side in peace. Despite that vision of a lasting peace, I’m not sure that the political coalition in Jerusalem will allow that to happen,” he said.