Israel's finance minister calls for annexing occupied Gaza and Lebanon territories
Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel should annex the land it currently holds in Gaza and Lebanon to make adversaries feel the cost of their actions.
Speaking on a podcast, Bezalel Smotrich argued that Israel must incorporate the areas it occupies in Gaza and Lebanon as a punitive measure. He suggested extending annexation up to one outlet front lines and, if Hezbollah attacks again, pushing the border all the way to Beirut. The minister framed the proposal as a way to make opponents fully experience the consequences of their defeat.
Why it matters
The minister's annexation call could reshape Israel's borders and heighten regional tensions.
In this story
annexationBezalel SmotrichIsraelGazaLebanonHezbollahterritorial expansiondefeatborder
