Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked his defence minister Yoav Gallant, saying he has no trust in him over the management of Israel’s ongoing military operations.
Netanyahu appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to succeed Gallant as defence minister, while Gideon Saar becomes the new foreign minister, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds throughout the war in the Gaza Strip but the PM had avoided dismissing his rival.
In the announcement of Gallant’s dismissal, made late on Tuesday (local time), Netanyahu cited this gap between the pair over the management of Israel’s wars.
He said that a “crisis of trust” had developed between the pair which did not allow for normal management of the war, Reuters reports.
A previous attempt to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu.
More to come.