The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister Gallant following deep disagreements on handling conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah. Image: Getty images
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(The Post News)– Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for the second time on Tuesday, pointing to a lack of trust between them during Israel’s fight against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah.
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The prime minister’s choice was made at a remarkable point in time for Israel. The military is engaged in combat with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both supported by Iran, while preparing for potential Iranian retaliation in a series of back-and-forth attacks.
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The United States, which is Israel’s top ally, is participating in a presidential election that could greatly impact America’s strategy for the Middle East conflict. Netanyahu was frustrated by Mr. Gallant’s regular communication with senior U.S. officials who favored him over Mr. Netanyahu. On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken phoned Mr. Gallant to converse about the state of affairs in Gaza and Lebanon.
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Netanyahu and Gallant seemed to be in agreement in the days after Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed in the first Hamas attack on Israel, while hundreds were captured. Local health officials report that the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza from Israel’s attacks has surpassed 43,000.
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In the meantime, Lebanese authorities have announced that over 3,000 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon as a result of Israel’s military retaliation to Hezbollah’s rocket strikes. After the announcement, Gallant issued a statement on X, declaring that the safety of the state of Israel has been and will continue to be his top priority.
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Gallant has been a strong foundation for Israeli-US relations and is popular among the public; however, he has strong disagreements with Netanyahu on key military and political matters, such as the hostage deal and the drafting of ultra-Orthodox into the military. Netanyahu dismissed him during the US elections, while the Biden government was concentrating on the presidential election.Â
An earlier effort made by Netanyahu to dismiss Gallant in March 2023 led to mass street protests against Netanyahu. He considered firing Gallant during the summer but decided to wait until Tuesday before making any announcements.An earlier effort made by Netanyahu to dismiss Gallant in March 2023 led to mass street protests against Netanyahu. He considered firing Gallant during the summer but decided to wait until Tuesday before making any announcements.An earlier effort made by Netanyahu to dismiss Gallant in March 2023 led to mass street protests against Netanyahu. He considered firing Gallant during the summer but decided to wait until Tuesday before making any announcements.
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