Israeli PM Netanyahu fires defence minister Gallant, says “crisis of trust” : Valley Vision

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in what he described as a “crisis of trust.”

Israel Katz, currently serving as foreign minister, will assume the role of defence minister, while Gideon Saar will replace Katz as foreign minister.

In the statement announcing Gallant’s dismissal, PM Netanyahu said he had made attempts to bridge the differences.

“But they only grew wider. These divisions even reached public knowledge in an unusual manner and, worse, became known to our enemies, who took pleasure in them and derived substantial benefit from them,” he said.

“The growing breach of trust between the defence minister and me has become public, preventing the normal continuation of our campaign management.”

Israeli media is reporting that families of captives still held in Gaza are protesting Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s dismissal.

The report said that the dismissal was a “direct continuation of the efforts to torpedo the abductee deal”.

It added that the protesters stated that “we demand the incoming defence minister to express an explicit commitment to the end of the war and to carry out a comprehensive deal for the immediate return of all the abductees.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on the grounds of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with Israel’s war on Gaza.