Israel: Netanyahu Ousts Defence Minister Gallant Over ‘Eroding Trust’, Foreign Minister Katz To Succeed Him

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, attributing the decision to a lack of confidence in Gallant’s approach to Israel's ongoing military operations.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office said that Foreign Minister Israel Katz would step in as the new Defence Minister, with Gideon Saar named to succeed Katz as Foreign Minister.

"Over the past few months that trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defence minister," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office, adding that he had appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to take his place, NDTV reported.

Following the announcement, Yoav Gallant took to X and said that Israel's security will always remain his top priority.

"The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life," he posted in Hebrew.

As members of the right-wing Likud party, Gallant and Netanyahu have clashed for months over the objectives of Israel’s 13-month-long war in Gaza against the Palestinian terror group Hamas.

Netanyahu said that despite efforts to reconcile differences, these “kept getting wider” and eventually surfaced publicly.

"Worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy and our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it," he added.

Netanyahu said such gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that "contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet".

Gallant voiced concerns about Israel's ongoing conflict in the Middle East, suggesting it lacked a clear direction. However, Netanyahu reiterated that fighting could not cease until Hamas was wiped out as a governing entity and military force in Gaza.

Prior to the Gaza conflict, Netanyahu had removed Gallant over disagreements related to proposed judicial reforms; however, the Defence Minister was later reinstated following mass public protests.

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