The key facts

  • Smotrich: the guarantee against an Egyptian attack is the threat of losing Sinai; el-Sisi previously stated that Egypt has no territorial ambitions
  • Smotrich called for annexing occupied territories in southern Lebanon and taking control of Gaza, 'eliminating the hopes' of Palestinians to stay
  • The statements came a week before Israel's general elections on October 27

Threats Toward Egypt

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party, said on Monday in an interview with the Israeli platform Ali Express that he does not trust Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's assurances that Cairo has no intention of attacking Israel. 'If they understand that the next time they attack, there will be no Sinai — that is a guarantee,' he said. Smotrich cited the lesson of October 7: in his words, Israel should assess not its neighbors' intentions but their capabilities, and 'Egypt has capabilities.' Earlier, on October 5, he had already argued that Egypt's fear of losing Sinai deters it from attacking.

Cairo's Reaction

Last Wednesday, at a ceremony marking the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, el-Sisi stressed that Egypt has no territorial ambitions toward any country. He noted that Egypt fought the 1973 war to defend its territory and ultimately regained the entire Sinai Peninsula, occupied by Israel in 1967. El-Sisi also confirmed that the 1979 peace treaty remains the framework of relations between Egypt and Israel.

Call to Annex Southern Lebanon

Smotrich also called on Israel to annex territories in southern Lebanon occupied by its army: 'We should annex the territory at least up to the lines where we stand today.' He warned that in response to any attack by 'Hezbollah,' Israeli forces would advance toward Beirut. According to Lebanese data, since March 2 Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people, over 12,400 wounded, and more than a million displaced. Israel occupies areas of southern Lebanon, including territories held for decades and positions captured in the 2023–2024 conflict; during the latest offensive, forces advanced more than 10 km deep into Lebanese territory.

Statements About Gaza

Smotrich called for taking control of the Gaza Strip and facilitating the departure of the approximately 2.4 million Palestinians living there. 'We must eliminate their hopes of staying,' he said, proposing to keep Gaza in a destroyed state and gradually push residents toward leaving. At the international level, he said, the initiative should be called not 'encouraging migration' but 'a final solution to the refugee problem and their rehabilitation.' According to Gaza's health ministry, the Israeli offensive since October 2023 has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded over 175,000, mostly women and children; the enclave's civilian infrastructure has been heavily destroyed.

Election Context

Smotrich's statements came ahead of Israel's general elections scheduled for October 27, amid political campaigns and disputes over the country's security and territorial ambitions.