Israel strongly rejects international criticism of its plan to expand the war in Gaza, as protests intensified on Saturday.

Israel's security cabinet has approved plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Israeli military to occupy Gaza City, in an expansion of military operations that comes amid international condemnation of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Bezalel Smotrich, the hard-line finance minister, said that Israel needed to move more decisively and quickly to defeat Hamas.