Israeli opposition cabinet, calls Gaza decision a ‘Catastrophe’

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has condemned the Security Cabinet’s decision to seize Gaza City, calling it a “catastrophe” that would lead to even more disastrous consequences.

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Lapid warned that the planned offensive on the largest city in the Gaza Strip would endanger the lives of hostages still held in Gaza and result in the deaths of many Israeli soldiers.

“This decision is a catastrophe and will lead to many more catastrophes,” he said.

Lapid accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of bowing to pressure from his far-right coalition partners, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, in spite of opposition from military leadership.

Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, both ultra-right ministers, have openly supported a full takeover of the Gaza Strip and the expulsion of its two million Palestinian residents.

The Security Cabinet approved the plan to capture Gaza City in a meeting held early Friday morning.

Before the meeting, Netanyahu told Fox News that Israel aimed to take control of the entire Gaza Strip, but insisted this did not amount to a permanent occupation.

“It should be freed from the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas to eventually be handed over to other forces,” Netanyahu said. (dpa/NAN)