“What would stop Egypt from attacking us?” Smotrich said during a video interview from his home with the Haredi website “Hashtiblach” on Monday. “If they attack us, there will be no Sinai, at least, but no, that will not happen again,” he estimated.
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On March 26, 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington, D.C., following the Camp David Accords of 1978. Among its key provisions were the cessation of hostilities, the normalization of relations, Israel's complete withdrawal of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai Peninsula, and the maintenance of a demilitarized zone.
There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities regarding Smotrich's remarks.
Earlier on Monday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said during a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces: "The Egyptian armed forces are ready to defend Egypt, its resources and its national security, at all times and under any circumstances."
Speaking about the "victory of the October War," Sisi said: "On this immortal day, the Egyptians wrote a bright page in the record of national glory, when the Egyptian will rose up to confirm to the whole world that Egypt does not give up its land."
In a related context, the extremist finance minister spoke during the interview about what he described as Israel’s “achievements” over the past three years, as he claimed, in reference to the Israeli war of extermination on the Gaza Strip.
"We will not return to the previous situation under any circumstances," Smotrich said, adding, "We control most of the Gaza Strip and there is an international commitment to dismantle Hamas and dismantle Gaza."
In a related context, the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Monday that Israel has tightened its siege on the Gaza Strip by constructing a wide trench and an earthen barrier, coinciding with the continued assassinations of Hamas members and leaders.
"The Israeli forces are completing these days the construction of a barrier in front of vehicles that includes a wide trench and an earthen embankment, in parallel with carrying out excavation operations and exploratory tests underground every few meters."
However, the newspaper said that "three years after the October 7 attack, the Israeli security establishment acknowledges that the battle in Gaza is still far from being decided," noting that the lack of a decisive outcome continues "two and a half years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was one step away from victory."
She added that "despite the large military presence of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, the simple fact is that Hamas is still the ruler of the Strip," explaining that Israeli forces "currently control about 64% of the Strip's area, through the widespread deployment of two divisions and about 30 military sites."
A ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, based on the plan of US President Donald Trump, came into effect on October 10, 2025.
The second phase of the plan includes arrangements for disarming the factions, deploying an international stabilization force, managing the sector through a Palestinian technocratic committee, and reconstruction, in parallel with a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli occupation army from the areas it occupies in Gaza, which are estimated at about 70% of the area of the sector.
On July 30, the Peace Council announced a 15-point roadmap for implementing the second phase, which includes disarming Hamas and Palestinian factions, transferring the administration of the sector to the National Committee, and Israel's phased withdrawal.
But Netanyahu rejected the map last August 9, insisting on complete disarmament before any Israeli withdrawal.
In response, Hamas called for international action to compel Israel to implement the road map, stressing its commitment to what was agreed upon with the mediators and the "Peace Council".
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