Israeli Prime Minister suddenly dismisses Defense Minister

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unexpectedly dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over a loss of confidence over the conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

"Over the past few months, trust has been eroded. For this reason, I have decided today to terminate the defense minister's term," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a press conference in October 2023

The prime minister said that in the early months of the war, there was trust and very good results, but in recent months, trust has increasingly broken down between him and Mr. Yoav Gallant.

Mr Netanyahu said the two disagreed over how to manage the war and because Mr Gallant had made decisions and statements that were inconsistent with cabinet decisions.

Mr Netanyahu also accused Mr Gallant of indirectly supporting Israel's opponents. "I have tried many times to close this gap, but it keeps widening. It is also brought to the public in an unacceptable way and, worse, it reaches the ears of our enemies. Our enemies love it and benefit greatly from it," Mr Netanyahu said, adding that most members of his government agreed with him.

Mr Gallant's term will officially end 48 hours after receiving the notice. "I want to thank him for his service as defense minister," Mr Netanyahu concluded.

According to The Times of Israel , Netanyahu personally delivered the letter of dismissal to Gallant. After a brief exchange, he left the room and recorded a video announcing the decision.

After dismissing Mr. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Prime Minister appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz as his replacement. Meanwhile, Minister without portfolio Gideon Saar will replace Mr. Katz as foreign minister.

In a statement after being dismissed, Mr. Gallant wrote on the social networking site X (formerly known as Twitter): "The security of the state of Israel has been and will always be my life's mission."

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