Benjamin Netanyahu fires defence minister Yoav Gallant, triggering protests across Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who is seen by many of Israel’s global partners as a check on the extreme right factions within the coalition government. This decision has sparked protests across Israel.

In a video message released late Tuesday, Netanyahu pointed out that there are considerable shortcomings in managing the situation in Gaza.

"During the peak of a conflict, it's essential for the prime minister and the defense minister to have total confidence in one another. However, I've experienced a breakdown of that trust with the defense minister in recent months," he stated. This situation led to widespread protests throughout the nation.

Israel Katz, a member of the Likud party and the current foreign minister, will take over Gallant's position. Gideon Saar, the leader of the centrist New Hope party, who rejoined Netanyahu's coalition in September, will assume the role of foreign minister.

Katz shared on X: “We will unite our efforts to ensure the security system triumphs over our adversaries and meet the objectives of this conflict: bringing back all the captives as our top priority, eliminating Hamas in Gaza, defeating Hezbollah in Lebanon, managing Iranian threats, and ensuring the safe return of residents in the north and south to their homes.”

In just a few hours, a large crowd of protesters converged in the heart of Tel Aviv, drumming and obstructing the main highway in the city. Around 1,000 individuals staged a protest in front of Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem, and similar demonstrations and road blockades emerged in various locations throughout the nation. Some protesters were said to have engaged in confrontations with the police.

In Tel Aviv, protesters displayed banners with messages like “We deserve better leadership” and “No one should be left behind!” One individual was seen wearing handcuffs and a face mask featuring Netanyahu's image, while others sported T-shirts that said “Bring them home now!” to highlight the issue of hostages in Gaza.

"We, the demonstrators, believe that Gallant is truly the only rational person in the government," stated 54-year-old teacher Samuel Miller, criticizing Netanyahu's administration for initiating "new conflicts in unjustified wars."

Since the current coalition took power at the end of 2022, Netanyahu has found himself at odds with Gallant. The defense minister has been the sole high-ranking member of the government to oppose proposed judicial reforms, which many critics argue would undermine democracy.

His firing had been anticipated for quite some time. Throughout more than a year of conflict in Gaza and a month in Lebanon, there were ongoing conflicts between the two leaders regarding strategy and the best ways to secure the release of Israeli hostages. It seems that the tipping point came when Gallant once again pushed to implement military conscription for the Ultra-Orthodox community. The two Ultra-Orthodox parties in the Knesset, which have been firm allies of Netanyahu, are staunchly against this new policy.

In a statement made late Tuesday, Gallant indicated that his removal was due to disagreements regarding Ultra-Orthodox military service, Israel's ethical duty to bring back the hostages, and the necessity of a comprehensive investigation to understand the lessons from the terror attacks on October 7.

Gallant has publicly rejected Netanyahu's frequent claim of wanting "total victory" over Hamas, arguing instead that Israel's military achievements have paved the way for a diplomatic resolution. “Ensuring the safety of the state of Israel has always been and will continue to be my life's mission,” he posted on X shortly after Netanyahu's announcement on Tuesday night.

The Hostage Families Forum issued a statement showing their serious worries about how this abrupt shift might impact the future of the 101 hostages still held in Gaza.

"We anticipate that the new defense minister will focus on negotiating a deal for the release of hostages and collaborate effectively with negotiators and the global community to ensure that all hostages are freed as soon as possible," it stated.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid commented on X that this action was a "crazy decision" during a time of war. He accused Netanyahu of jeopardizing Israel's security and the safety of Israeli soldiers for the sake of his own political survival.

Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, whose role is primarily symbolic and aims to bring the nation together, described the termination as “the very last thing that Israel requires.”

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister, commended Netanyahu for dismissing Gallant. He expressed on Telegram, "With Gallant, we can't attain complete victory, so the prime minister made the right choice by letting him go."

Yair Golan, the leader of the newly established leftist party known as the Democrats, turned to social media to call on Israelis to rally in response to Gallant’s dismissal. In March, thousands joined in unplanned protests and strikes against Netanyahu's initial effort to remove his defense minister due to the judicial reforms. This surprising wave of opposition compelled the prime minister to reconsider his choice and delay the judicial changes until the next Knesset meeting.

Surveys indicate that Gallant has remained the most favored member of Netanyahu’s government. Before venturing into politics, he served as a high-ranking general in the military and was seen domestically and internationally as a calming presence in Netanyahu’s leadership. Currently, the international criminal court’s prosecutor is pursuing arrest warrants for both individuals regarding Israel’s actions during the conflict in Gaza.

Benny Gantz, a key opponent of Netanyahu and the ex-defence minister, was part of the prime minister's three-member war cabinet along with Gallant following the Hamas assault on October 7. However, he stepped down in June, stating that Netanyahu was "blocking our path to genuine victory."

Gantz characterized the decision as “political maneuvering that jeopardizes national security.”

The prime minister may decide to dissolve the war cabinet and return to a previous system where security matters are addressed in a smaller group before being brought up in the usual cabinet meetings.

A representative from the White House commended Gallant as a “key ally” and stated that the United States would “keep collaborating with Israel's upcoming defense minister.”

A high-ranking US official expressed skepticism regarding the motives behind Gallant's dismissal, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The official described Netanyahu's choice as “unexpected” and “worrisome,” particularly given that it comes during a time of two ongoing conflicts and while Israel is gearing up to potentially face an assault from Iran.

In Gaza, the World Health Organization announced that it anticipates a significant medical evacuation from the region to begin on Wednesday. This operation is set to transport 113 critically ill and injured patients through Israel for medical care in the United Arab Emirates and Romania.

According to data from the World Health Organization, approximately 14,000 individuals require immediate medical assistance outside of Gaza. About half of these people have sustained serious injuries from the conflict, while the other half are dealing with critical health issues, including cancer.

Earlier in the conflict, Israel allowed around 5,000 individuals to exit Gaza for medical reasons. However, since Israeli forces took over Rafah at the Egyptian border in May, only 282 people have actually been able to leave. Rafah had previously been the primary route for Gazans to connect with the outside world, especially since Israel and Egypt established a blockade after Hamas gained power in 2007.

It wasn't immediately obvious if any of the medical evacuees would be coming from the northern part of Gaza, which Israel has isolated from the rest of the territory since the start of this year. Since early October, Israeli forces have intensified their ground and air attacks in the region, claiming that these actions are essential to eliminate Hamas units that have reestablished themselves.

Extensive evacuation orders have been issued for the 400,000 residents who, according to the UN, still remain in the area. The blockade preventing the delivery of essential aid and food, along with the targeting of civilian facilities—particularly the three hospitals that are still operational and under significant strain—has prompted human rights organizations to charge Israel with the war crime of trying to forcibly remove the remaining inhabitants.

Israel has rejected claims that it is methodically expelling Palestinians from the region or employing food as a means of coercion, actions that are against international law.

On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 30 individuals, among them eight women and six children in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. The Israeli military reported that the strikes were aimed at a facility used for storing weapons.

This report was assisted by contributions from Agence France-Presse and Reuters.