{"id":72290,"date":"2026-09-27T08:08:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T12:08:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/israel-lebanon-conflict-escalates-as-smotrich-calls-for-west-bank-war-of-extermination\/72290\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T08:08:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T12:08:13","slug":"israel-lebanon-conflict-escalates-as-smotrich-calls-for-west-bank-war-of-extermination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/israel-lebanon-conflict-escalates-as-smotrich-calls-for-west-bank-war-of-extermination\/72290\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel-Lebanon Conflict Escalates as Smotrich Calls for West Bank &#8220;War of Extermination&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich<\/strong> has called for a full-scale military operation in the <strong>West Bank<\/strong> similar to the campaign in <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, drawing sharp condemnation from the <strong>Palestinian Foreign Ministry<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Palestinian Foreign Ministry<\/strong> labeled Smotrich\u2019s remarks a &quot;blatant call to expand the war of extermination&quot; and an attempt to facilitate the <strong>annexation<\/strong> of the occupied territory.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Israeli airstrikes<\/strong> targeted multiple locations in <strong>southern Lebanon<\/strong> on September 27, including the towns of <strong>Haris<\/strong>, <strong>Khiam<\/strong>, and <strong>Bint Jbeil<\/strong>, despite a fragile U.S.-brokered framework agreement.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Regional tensions<\/strong> are surging as Smotrich also advocated for the annexation of <strong>southern Lebanon<\/strong> up to the <strong>Litani River<\/strong> and parts of the <strong>Gaza Strip<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Market uncertainty<\/strong> persists in the Levant as the <strong>Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)<\/strong> prepare for a &quot;new phase&quot; of fighting, potentially establishing a permanent <strong>buffer zone<\/strong> in Lebanese territory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In a significant escalation of rhetoric, Israeli Finance Minister <strong>Bezalel Smotrich<\/strong> has publicly urged the Israeli government to &quot;go to war&quot; in the <strong>West Bank<\/strong>, advocating for the dismantling of the <strong>Palestinian Authority<\/strong>. Speaking on a podcast for the <em>Ynet<\/em> outlet, Smotrich stated that Israel must replicate its military strategy in Gaza within the West Bank to &quot;eliminate terror infrastructure.&quot; He further proposed the annexation of <strong>southern Lebanon<\/strong> and more than <strong>80% of the West Bank<\/strong>, referring to the latter by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Palestinian Foreign Ministry<\/strong> responded with a scathing statement, warning that Smotrich\u2019s comments represent a &quot;dangerous&quot; policy of displacement and land confiscation. The ministry urged the <strong>UN Security Council<\/strong> and the <strong>U.S. administration<\/strong> to intervene, arguing that such inflammatory statements undermine any remaining prospects for a two-state solution. They held the Israeli government fully responsible for the potential &quot;instability and violence&quot; that could follow any attempt to dismantle Palestinian national institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, the conflict on Israel\u2019s northern border intensified as the <strong>IDF<\/strong> launched a series of airstrikes and artillery barrages across <strong>southern Lebanon<\/strong>. On Sunday, September 27, 2026, strikes were reported on the outskirts of <strong>Haris<\/strong> (Bint Jbeil district) and the town of <strong>Khiam<\/strong> (Marjeyoun district). These attacks occurred despite the <strong>June framework agreement<\/strong> intended to facilitate a gradual Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of the <strong>Lebanese Army<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>IDF<\/strong> claimed the strikes were necessary to &quot;remove threats&quot; to Israeli troops operating in what it calls a &quot;security buffer zone.&quot; Reports from the <strong>National News Agency (NNA)<\/strong> indicated that the strikes destroyed residential property in <strong>Mayfadoun<\/strong> and <strong>Nabatieh al-Fawqa<\/strong>, while heavy machine-gun fire targeted <strong>Beit Yahoun<\/strong>. The Lebanese government, led by Prime Minister <strong>Nawaf Salam<\/strong>, has denounced these actions at the <strong>United Nations<\/strong>, accusing Israel of a &quot;scorched-earth policy&quot; that violates Lebanese sovereignty.<\/p>\n<p>The dual escalation in the West Bank and Lebanon has raised alarms among international observers regarding a broader regional conflagration. With Smotrich\u2019s <strong>Religious Zionism<\/strong> party pushing for territorial expansion as a core campaign pillar for upcoming elections, the political pressure on Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> to maintain a hardline military stance remains high. Analysts suggest that the continued violation of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire could lead to a total collapse of diplomatic efforts in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for a full-scale military operation in the West Bank similar to 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