Speaking to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid has addressed the growing threat of war with Hezbollah, saying the current situation is “unimaginable”, Al Jazeera reports.

Lapid said Israel has effectively “abandoned our most flourishing [northern] region” due to the frequent cross-border attacks, which have forced tens of thousands of Israeli residents to evacuate.

However, before going to war, Israel should “exhaust the diplomatic process with Hezbollah”, he said.