Gallant’s dismissal deepens divide in Israel
Divisions are growing in Israel after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed war minister Yoav Gallant.
Protests have erupted in Israel in the wake of Gallant’s dismissal. Many protesters on the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (al-Quds) called for Netanyahu to resign, and demanded the new war minister prioritize a captive deal.
Netanyahu who gave Gallant the axe on Tuesday said a "crisis of trust" with the war minister led to his decision. He added that his trust in Gallant had "eroded" in recent months and Foreign Minister Israel Katz would step in to replace him.
Netanyahu and Gallant have long had a divisive working relationship. During the past year, there have been reports of shouting matches between the two men over Israel’s war strategy.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for arrest warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu, accusing them of committing atrocities such as starving Palestinians in Gaza and overseeing the extermination of civilians.