Netanyahu fires Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant

Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed popular defence minister Yoav Gallant due to “cracked” trust, the Israeli prime minister said in a surprise announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds throughout the war in Gaza.
Israel’s PM previously attempted to fire his rival back in March 2023, a move that prompted widespread street protests.
In the early days of the war, Israel’s leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, but as the war continued and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences started to emerge.
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While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant has taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for at least a temporary diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the militant group.
Opposition groups called for mass protests late Tuesday in response to the announcement.
The forum representing hostage families said Gallant’s dismissal is “a direct continuation of the ‘efforts’ to torpedo the abductee deal”.
It called on the new defence minister, Israel Katz, to make an “explicit commitment” to end the war and reach a deal to bring home their loved ones.
Katz was previously the foreign minister, and Gideon Sa’ar will replace Katz in the role.
The dismissal comes at a delicate time as Israeli troops remain bogged down in Gaza, over a year after invading the territory.
Meanwhile, Israeli ground troops are pressing ahead with a month-old ground invasion against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Israel also has clashed with Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, and is facing the possibility of another strike by Iran.
Iran has vowed to avenge an Israeli strike that came in response to an October 1 Iranian missile attack, which itself was a reprisal for earlier Israeli attacks on Iranian-linked targets.
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