Netanyahu dismisses his defense minister, new strikes in Lebanon

(Jerusalem) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, after differences over the conduct of the war in Gaza, and replaced him with his Foreign Affairs counterpart Israel Katz who promised to defeat the “enemies” of the country.

This surprise announcement comes while awaiting the result of the presidential election in the United States, the main ally of Israel, a country which is fighting on two fronts, against Palestinian Hamas in Gaza and against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“In the midst of war, trust is more than ever required between the Prime Minister and his Minister of Defense” but “in recent months, this trust has been eroded,” said Mr. Netanyahu in a letter addressed to Mr. Gallant .

“Significant differences emerged […] in running the campaign [militaire]accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted the decisions of the government and the cabinet,” he added.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has warned of “upheaval” in the country at war for more than a year and called for “accountability”.

“The last thing the State of Israel needs right now is an upheaval and a rupture in the middle of the war,” he said on X.

Mr. Gallant was for the United States an “important partner on all matters related to the defense of Israel,” welcomed a spokesperson for the State Department. “We will continue to work with the next Israeli defense minister,” he assured.

Mr. Netanyahu chose the head of diplomacy Israel Katz, nicknamed the “bulldozer”, to replace Mr. Gallant.

Serving on the security cabinet, Mr. Katz “combines the responsibility and calm problem-solving qualities that are essential to leading this campaign,” the prime minister said.

“We will work together to lead the Department of Defense to victory against the enemy and to achieve the objectives of the war: the return of the hostages, the destruction of Hamas, the defeat of Hezbollah, the containment of Iranian aggression and the return home in safety of the inhabitants of the north and the south [d’Israël] “, assured Mr. Katz on X.

Gideon Saar, current minister without portfolio, succeeds Mr. Katz.

Concern for the hostages

Mr. Gallant had established himself as a leading figure in Israel’s war against Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

But he attracted the wrath of the ultra-Orthodox parties, key allies of the prime minister’s coalition, by ordering the conscription of 10,000 men from this religious community who had until then benefited from an exemption under a rule established at the creation of Israel in 1948.

In 2018, the issue of their conscription created a crisis, precipitating the country into several legislative elections.

Mr. Netanyahu “did well” to dismiss Yoav Gallant, reacted the Minister of Internal Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, of the far right.

Mr. Gallant also pleaded for a truce with Hamas with a view to obtaining the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7, 2023 against Israel, while the objective hammered out by Mr. Netanyahu is an annihilation of this formation.

Israel must ensure the return of hostages held in captivity “as quickly as possible” and “as long as they are alive”, even at the cost of “painful compromise”, Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday, after being fired.

“The security of Israel has been and will remain the mission of my life,” Mr. Gallant reacted on X.

Israel must ensure the return of the hostages “as long as they are alive,” he then declared.

According to political analyst Aviv Bushinsky, Mr. Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, his dismissal was only a “matter of time.” “Perhaps Netanyahu fears a victory for the Democrats” in the United States, which would have made such a dismissal “more complicated.”

Mr. Netanyahu feels “reinforced by the improvement in his rating in the polls”, and “also benefits from the fact that the world’s attention is elsewhere” with the American election, judges Jonathan Rynhold, director of the political studies department at Bar Ilan University.

“Our moral and ethical duty is to bring back […] those kidnapped by Hamas. We must do it as quickly as possible and while they are alive,” he argued in a televised speech.

“It is possible to bring back the hostages, but that includes painful compromises,” he continued.

Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening to demonstrate against the dismissal of Mr. Gallant, and to ask his successor Israel Katz to prioritize an agreement on the return of hostages still held in Gaza.

Mr. Gallant was “the only normal person in the government,” Samuel Miller, a 54-year-old teacher, told AFP, accusing the government of opening “new fronts to unjustified wars.”

The Families Forum, the main association of hostage relatives, said it was “deeply concerned” about the ouster of Mr. Gallant, calling on Mr. Katz to “prioritize” an agreement for the release of captives in Gaza .

Of 251 people kidnapped on October 7, 2023, 97 remain hostages in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the army.

“A question of time”

According to political analyst Aviv Bushinsky, Mr. Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, Mr. Gallant’s dismissal was only a “matter of time.” “Perhaps Netanyahu fears a victory for the Democrats” in the United States, which would have made such a dismissal “more complicated.”

Mr. Netanyahu feels “reinforced by the improvement in his rating in the polls”, and “also benefits from the fact that the world’s attention is elsewhere” with the American election, judges Jonathan Rynhold, director of the political studies department at Bar Ilan University.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas after its October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data, including hostages killed or died in captivity. .

The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation in Gaza left 43,391 dead, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health and caused a humanitarian disaster.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army carried out new deadly strikes on the besieged Palestinian territory and in Lebanon.

At least 20 people were killed Tuesday in an Israeli strike targeting a residential building south of Beirut, at a time when Israeli bombings show no respite, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

In support of Hamas, Hezbollah opened a front against Israel on October 8, 2023. After a year of cross-border shooting, the situation degenerated into open war in September.

More than 1,990 people have been killed across Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP count Thursday evening based on official reports.