Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, far-right member and leader of the Religious Zionism party, stated that he does not believe Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi when he claims Cairo does not intend to attack Israel. Smotrich warned that Egypt could lose the Sinai Peninsula in the event of an attack.
"If they understand that next time they attack us, there will no longer be a Sinai, that is the guarantee we need," Smotrich said. The Egyptian president asserted that Cairo has no territorial ambitions or intention to wage war against Israel, to which Smotrich replied: "I do not believe those statements." He emphasised that Israel must assess the military capabilities of its neighbours, not their declared intentions. "One of the lessons from 7 October is that we must not prepare for the intentions of our enemies, but for their capabilities. And Egypt has capabilities," he said. On 5 October, Smotrich stated that Egypt does not attack Israel only because it fears losing the Sinai.
President Sisi reacted to these remarks last Wednesday at a ceremony marking the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. He stated that Egypt has no territorial claims against any country. He recalled that Egypt fought in 1973 to defend its territory and ultimately recovered the entire Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had occupied in 1967. He confirmed that the 1979 peace agreement remains the fundamental framework for relations between the two states.
Smotrich called on Israel to annex areas in southern Lebanon currently under occupation by the Israeli army. "We need to annex territory at least up to the lines where we are today," he stated. He also warned that Israeli forces would move towards Beirut if Hezbollah launched any attack. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 4,300 people have been killed and more than 12,400 injured in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since 2 March. More than one million people have been displaced. Israel occupies parts of southern Lebanon, including territories it has controlled for decades, as well as positions seized during the 2023 and 2024 conflict. In the latest offensive, Israeli forces advanced more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory.
Smotrich also advocated for Israel to take control of the Gaza Strip and to encourage the departure of approximately 2.4 million Palestinian residents. "We must extinguish any hope they have of staying," he said. Under his plan, Israel would control the enclave, keep it in a state of ruin and gradually encourage residents to emigrate. "I do not want to call it encouraging migration. At the international level, it would be better to call it a final solution to the refugee issue and their rehabilitation," he stated. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 injured in the Israeli military offensive since October 2023. The majority of the victims are women and children, and the attacks have destroyed much of the civilian infrastructure in the enclave.
Smotrich's remarks were published ahead of the general elections in Israel, which are scheduled for 27 October.
