Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has labelled a decision by Israel’s security cabinet to back Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City a “disaster that will lead to many more disasters”, Al Jazeera reports.

Lapid said far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had “dragged Netanyahu into a move that will take many months, lead to the deaths of hostages and soldiers, cost tens of billions for the Israeli taxpayer, and result in a diplomatic collapse”.

“This is exactly what Hamas wanted: for Israel to be trapped in the territory without a goal, without defining the picture of the day after, in a pointless occupation that no one understands where it is leading,” he said.