ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dramatically fired defence minister Yoav Gallant last night claiming there was a “crisis of trust” between them.
The powerful pair have clashed over the aims of Israel‘s 13-month war in Gaza but Netanyahu said continuing disagreements had finally forced him to act.
ReutersBenjamin Netanyahu, left, has sacked his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, seen here in October this year[/caption]
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.
Gallant, 65, who is a longtime rival within the Likud Party, had presided over major successes in recent weeks including the decapitation of Hamas and Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon.
But the popular and respected defence chief will now be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz as Netanyahu, 75, comes under continuing pressure to halt fighting in Gaza.
War has raged on despite pleas for a ceasefire deal to allow the release of a dwindling band of hostages left alive in Hamas’s Gaza stronghold.
The PM stepped up the Middle East conflict despite huge civilian casualties and opposed Gallant’s public opposition to a future Palestinian rule in the 25-mile coastal strip.
Netanyahu said they also disagreed on the management of the conflict, and that Gallant made decisions and statements which contradicted cabinet decisions.
Netanyahu said last night: “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.
“I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider.
“They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy.
“Our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it.”
Gallant posted on social media last night that the “security of the state of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life”.
The move comes after Israeli special forces claimed they raided a Hezbollah terror compound packed with missiles, rocket launchers, and explosives.
In a statement, the IDF said: “Hezbollah intended to use this compound to plan and execute an infilitration into Israeli territory and attacks on IDF troops.
“Within the compound, the soldiers located underground infrastructure and hideouts equipped with logistical and medical supplies for prolonged stays, military tents, and pits stocked with weapons.
“The troops also located and destroyed rocket launchers, high-powered explosives ready to be activated, anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, AK-47 rifles, surface-to-air missiles, and a launcher concealed in a mountain on a several-meter track aimed directly at civilian communities in northern Israel.”
EPAIsrael’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Yoav Gallant in October 2023[/caption]