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Netanyahu fires Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for 2nd time, citing trust ‘crisis’

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Netanyahu fires Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for 2nd time, citing trust ‘crisis’

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for the second time on Tuesday, citing a “crisis of trust” between the two amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu said he had no remaining trust in Gallant while Israel is still at war. He appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz to take over the position, while Gideon Saar will succeed Katz.

“The security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life,” Gallant wrote on X after the announcement.

The news, and the timing, of the announcement came as a surprise to some allies.

One U.S. official said the decision to fire Gallant is concerning, especially in the middle of two wars, while Israel is preparing to defend against a potential attack from Iran. The official said there are questions about the reasons for Gallant’s firing and about what is driving the decision.

Gallant spoke regularly with his U.S. counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Since Oct. 25, the pair talked four times, according to the Pentagon.

Netanyahu first fired Gallant in March of 2023 after Gallant raised concerns over a judicial overhaul that sparked widespread protests and dissent in the country, only to reinstate him when he backed down from instituting the judicial reforms.

Rifts developed over the course of the war between the prime minister and Gallant, who demanded in May that Netanyahu clarify his strategy before restarting a military push into some parts of Gaza.

Gallant also said he would not agree to establish a military government in the enclave. In a May interview on Israeli TV, Gallant said Netanyahu should publicly commit that Israel will not get involved in establishing a government in Gaza, if it succeeds in eliminating Hamas. The job should fall to Palestinians and “international actors,” he said.

The Hostages’ Families Forum, which represents many families of 101 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, expressed “deep concern” about Netanyahu’s decision to fire Gallant and how it could “affect the fate” the hostages.

“We expect the incoming Defense Minister, Israel Katz, to prioritize a hostage deal and work closely with mediators and the international community to secure the immediate release of all hostages,” it wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

The National Security Council referred USA TODAY to the Israeli government on “personnel decisions.”

Contributing: Francesca Chambers, Reuters

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