Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over what he cited as a ‘lack of trust,’ according to the Times of Israel. Gallant, a long-standing rival within the Likud Party, will be succeeded by Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Katz’s position will be taken over by Gideon Sa’ar, Minister without Portfolio. 

According to the Times of Israel, the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement confirming that Netanyahu notified Yoav Gallant that his role as Defence Minister would conclude “48 hours from the receipt of this letter.” The brief letter closed with Netanyahu expressing, “I would like to thank you for your service as defence minister.” 

In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed that while there was strong cooperation and trust with the Defence Minister during the initial months of the war, this trust had eroded over recent months, according to the Times of Israel. 

Netanyahu added that he and Gallant clashed over handling the war, alleging that Gallant made remarks and took steps that went against the cabinet’s decisions.  

He further claimed that Gallant’s actions indirectly supported Israel’s enemies: “I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider,” Times of Israel quoted him as saying. 

After his dismissal, Yoav Gallant stated on X (formerly Twitter) that ensuring Israel’s security would remain his life’s mission. 

“The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life,” he said.