Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked Defence minister, Yoav Gallant and appointed Israel Katz as his successor.
The announcement was made in the late hours of Tuesday, November 5 via a post on the Prime Minister’s official X account.
Israeli Prime Minister cited a ‘crisis of trust’ as the primary reason for Gallant’s dismissal.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the Prime Minister and Defence Minister,” Netanyahu said.
He explained that while their initial cooperation had been productive but trust had ‘eroded’ over recent months due to deep policy disagreements.
The two leaders had often disagreed over the strategy for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Palestine.
Netanyahu pushed for sustained military pressure on Hamas, while Gallant reportedly saw the ongoing operations as a means to pave the way for negotiations aimed at securing the release of Israeli hostages.
“The security of the state of Israel always was and will always remain my life’s mission,” The former Israeli defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said following his removal.
This leadership change comes at a time of wider political debates, including discussions on the conscription of Haredi Jewish students into the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), a policy supported by Gallant.
The Haredi Jews are a group of Israelites that practice orthodox Judaism which is characterized by strict interpretation of religious sources and application of the tenets of the Torah.
The removal of the former defence minister, echoes a similar attempt by Netanyahu in March 2023, which sparked mass protests and led to a cabinet reshuffle.
The IDF also reported that Netanyahu has appointed Gideon Saar as the new foreign minister.
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