Former Grand Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Dr. Ali Gomaa posted a video on his YouTube channel on November 11, 2023, in which he claimed that the destruction of Israel will lead to the battle of Gog and Magog. He said that with "divine intervention" described by the Prophet Muhammad, Jesus will descend and kill Gog and Magog, and the Muslims will vanquish the Byzantines.
He added that when Israel is thrown into the sea, the Americans will move into the region, followed by the Russians, and in response the Muslims will fight them. Gomaa explained that the Americans represent the Byzantines described in the Hadith, whereas the Russians represent Gog and Magog.
Gomaa: "We do not know what will happen after the destruction of the Zionist entity. The Jews, Israel, and the Zionist entity are not worth a mosquito's wing, in the eyes of Allah and the [Muslim] people. Let us imagine a political scenario, in which Israel is destroyed.
"What will happen? America will immediately move in. Don't think that once we throw Israel into the sea, it will be the end of this story. America will immediately move in. The hadith says: 'You will fight the Byzantines…' Those Americans are the Byzantines [of our days].
"If Israel is finished, and America moves in, what will happen? Russia will immediately move in. Who are these Russians? They are Gog and Magog – well-known tribes in Armenia. It is all known and in the books. Imagine that the Americans and the Russians moved in. What would you do? You would fight them, because this is your land and your country.
"Therefore, this matter requires direct divine intervention. The Prophet Muhammad told us that such intervention will come to be, and that Jesus son of Mary will descend. He will kill Gog and Magog, and the Muslims will vanquish the Byzantines, but this warrants divine intervention."