Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “destroy” Hamas, the militant group that launched the deadliest attack on Israel in the country’s history. But how exactly does Israel’s military plan to root out a group that is scattered among 2.3 million people in Gaza and that holds an estimated 200 Israeli hostages?
There are no easy answers. When David Petraeus commanded U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, he honed an expertise in dealing with militant groups in difficult conditions. But even he admits the task ahead of Israel is “fiendishly difficult” and one that requires, above all, a clear vision for success. After serving in the U.S. military for 37 years, Petraeus won a 94-0 Senate confirmation vote in 2011 to become the director of the CIA. He is the co-author, with British historian Andrew Roberts, of Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare From 1945 to Ukraine.
FP’s Ravi Agrawal spoke with Petraeus about Israel’s war in Gaza. The interview was conducted on the morning of Tuesday, Oct. 17.
Video clips from this event
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Former CIA Director David Petraeus talks about the Israeli intelligence failure and what it shows about Hamas’s evolution.
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Listen to David Petraeus, who commanded two wars on behalf of the United States, explain what Israel’s forces are up against in dealing with Hamas’s tactics.
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Former CIA Director David Petraeus explains that the war on terrorism that followed 9/11 and the overreaction of the U.S. government should serve as a cautionary tale for Israel.
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David Petraeus explains how Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to take advantage of the Israel-Hamas war.
