Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, citing a breakdown in trust amid the ongoing Gaza war against Hamas, according to his office. The two officials have frequently disagreed over Israel’s military response to Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on October 7, last year.
“During wartime, especially, full trust between the prime minister and defense minister is essential,” Netanyahu stated. He noted that although there was strong cooperation in the campaign’s early stages, recent months saw trust deteriorate with Gallant, a Likud party member.
Netanyahu announced Foreign Minister Israel Katz as the new defense minister, praising Katz’s proven contributions to national security.
Following his dismissal, Gallant expressed on social media that “the security of Israel will always be my life’s mission.” Netanyahu said he tried to resolve his differences with Gallant, but the divide widened, even becoming publicly known—information which Israel’s enemies exploited.
“The widening rift between the Defense Minister and myself has now made it impossible to continue our campaign as usual,” Netanyahu said. “Thus, I have decided to end his tenure and have appointed Minister Israel Katz to replace him.”
Israel has been in conflict with Hamas in Gaza since Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,206 lives, predominantly civilians, per official Israeli figures. Israel’s subsequent military response has led to the deaths of at least 43,391 Palestinians, largely civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry—a count considered credible by the United Nations.
