Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of his dismissal, the Kan News broadcaster reported on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Israel Katz will be appointed in his place.
“Unfortunately, over the past months, the trust between me and the minister of defense has been broken. There were significant gaps regarding the management of the [military] campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the decisions of the government and of the Cabinet,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement cited by local media.
In a letter published by Channel 12, Netanyahu told Gallant that his dismissal would be effective 48 hours after the delivery of the letter. “I would like to thank you for your work as defense minister,” wrote Netanyahu.
Responding to his firing on X, the defense minister wrote, “The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain my life’s mission.”
Netanyahu and Gallant had been at odds since the 2023 judicial reform crisis. In May of last year, while Netanyahu was abroad, Gallant called a solo press conference and urged the prime minister to halt the judicial reform legislation amid massive street protests throughout Israel.
Some 24 hours later, Netanyahu announced his intention to fire Gallant. Nationwide protests against the government’s now-shelved judicial reform agenda intensified, and the premier reversed his decision.
Six months ago, Netanyahu and other members of his coalition slammed Gallant after he demanded that Jerusalem commit to Palestinian control over the Gaza Strip post-war with Hamas.