Israel’s finance minister has sparked international concern after proposing a dramatic expansion of the country’s borders into the occupied Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon and parts of Syria, framing the moves as part of a broader strategy of “decisive political steps” and permanent territorial change.
Expansion proposals across multiple fronts
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has proposed expanding Israel’s borders to include parts of the Gaza Strip, southern Lebanon and territory in Syria, in remarks that are likely to intensify international criticism of Israel’s settlement and military policy.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new settlement, Maoz Tzur, in the West Bank, Smotrich said Israel should pursue what he described as “decisive political steps” in multiple theatres.
“There will be a political step in the Gaza Strip that will expand our borders, a decisive political step in Lebanon that will extend our borders to the Litani River on defensible lines, and a decisive political step in Syria with the annexation of Mount Hermon and the buffer zone,” he said, referring to the Litani River and Mount Hermon.
Settlement policy and security arguments
Smotrich also claimed that Israeli actions in the West Bank were already undermining the possibility of a future Palestinian state. Defence Minister Israel Katz echoed support for settlement expansion, saying Jewish settlements in the West Bank “strengthen Israel’s security.”
The Israeli government has already approved the construction of around 30 settlements and more than 150 agricultural outposts across the West Bank, a policy repeatedly condemned by the international community and the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinians continue to insist on the establishment of an independent state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel rejects a return to those lines and opposes the division of Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly ordered the expansion of Israel’s operational zone in southern Lebanon, describing it as part of an effort to “fundamentally change the situation in the north.”
Risk of further escalation
Meanwhile, Israel’s defence minister has instructed the military to prepare for a possible widening of operations on Lebanese territory, signalling further escalation risks along the northern border.
