Dismissed minister wants to stay in the ruling Likud party, but PM's loyalists, who view him as part of the opposition, will be seeking a pretext to declare him a defector The post Gallant’s firing isn’t the end of Netanyahu’s campaign against his ex-defense minister appeared first on The Times of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s shock firing of his defense chief on Tuesday night removed a key cabinet critic, but it also deepened anger among opponents over his handling of the country’s multi-front conflict.

Gallant said his dismissal was the result of a dispute over three things: the issue of ultra-Orthodox military services, the abandonment of hostages in Gaza, and the need for an official inquiry into Hamas’ October 7 attack.

Netanyahu appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to succeed Gallant. It comes as Israel is in the middle of two wars, and is bracing for an attack from Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired defense minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, after Netanyahu said trust between the two officials had “eroded” in recent months following disagreements over Israel’s war in Gaza.