IsraelSmotrich demanded Israel annex south Lebanon to the Litani River.
A sitting cabinet minister is calling for annexing occupied territory, barred under international law.
Smotrich, whose party seeks full West Bank annexation, said Israel should annex Gaza past the yellow line and dismantle the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Authority called his remarks a call for escalation, annexation and displacement.
Israel holds elections on 27 October, with Netanyahu locked in a tight race for power.
How each outlet framed it
- Dawn
- cites Smotrich's specific demands ('yellow line' Gaza, Litani River) and deterrence logic for annexation
Sources: Dawn