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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacks defence minister Yoav Gallant

5 November 2024, 18:05 | Updated: 5 November 2024, 20:26

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired his defence minister Yoav Gallant.

The move comes 14 months into the Middle East war sparked by the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Mr Netanyahu said a "crisis of trust" had developed between him and Mr Gallant.

He said there had been too many "significant gaps" between them over the management of Israel's wars.

"In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister," Mr 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."

The two have regularly been at odds over the handling of the Gaza war.

A previous attempt to fire Mr Gallant in March last year led to widespread street protests against Mr Netanyahu and opposition groups have called for mass protests in response to the sacking.

It comes amid a backdrop of arguments around the drafting of ultra-Orthodox students into the IDF, with Mr Gallant deciding this week to send out thousands of draft notices.

Leaders of ultra-Orthodox Haredi parties in Mr Netanyahu's coalition have called for a law exempting full-time religious seminary students from service.

Religious young men are exempt from military service, which is compulsory for most Jews in the country.

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Key differences between Netanyahu and Gallant

While Israel's leadership initially presented a unified response to the Hamas attack in October last year, as the conflict dragged on and expanded to Lebanon, key differences have emerged between Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant.

Mr Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas in Gaza, while Mr Gallant has argued military force has created the necessary conditions for a deal that could bring home more hostages held by the militant group.

In a statement, Mr Gallant, a former general, said: "The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."

Replacements announced

Mr Netanyahu appointed the foreign minister, Israel Katz, to succeed Mr Gallant as defence minister. Mr Katz is a veteran minister of Mr Netanyau's cabinet and has been a longtime ally of the prime minister.

Gideon Saar will become the new foreign minister, the prime minister's office said in a statement. Mr Saar, formerly a rival of Mr Netanyahu, rejoined the government in September.