Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday that his country has "no hidden agendas or territorial ambitions toward anyone," responding to Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's warning last week that Egypt would lose the Sinai Peninsula if it attacked Israel.
Sisi made the remarks during an event marking the 53rd anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He said Egypt had "fought the war to defend its territory and succeeded in recovering all its land."
Referring to the peace treaty with Israel, Sisi said it "serves as the framework governing relations between the two countries." He stressed that Egypt's top priorities remain protecting its borders and national security while maintaining stability.
The Egyptian president also addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reiterating Cairo's commitment to a two-state solution, which he described as "the only realistic path to achieving a just peace."
He said the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel remained the cornerstone of Egypt's vision for regional stability.
In a statement responding to "remarks by an Israeli official concerning Sinai," the Egyptian presidency said: "The president wonders whether certain circles in Israel harbor unjustified perceptions or fears regarding alleged Egyptian intentions toward them."
"Egypt has no ambitions toward anyone," the statement continued. "Egypt seeks to reduce tensions in the region, resolve the Gulf crisis and ensure security and stability for the Gulf states."
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
(Photo: Yariv Katz)
Smotrich sparked outrage in Egypt early last week after warning during an interview conducted at his home with the ultra-Orthodox platform Hashtiblach that Israel would not allow Egypt to attack it without severe consequences.
"What would prevent Egypt from attacking Israel?" Smotrich asked rhetorically, before answering: "If they attack, there will be no Sinai." Later in the interview, he argued that Israel should not return the peninsula to Egypt if it were captured in a future conflict.
The remarks, made around the time the Israeli government commemorated the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, were widely reported across Arab media, particularly in Egypt, where they provoked an angry response.
One Egyptian television channel accused Smotrich of engaging in "election propaganda," while a pan-Arab newspaper quoted more confrontational voices issuing a warning of their own: "If there is a confrontation, there will be no Israel."