Yoav Gallant Benjamin Netanyahu Knesset
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) speaks to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (L) at the opening of the 25th Parliament session in Jerusalem on October 28, 2024. DEBBIE HILL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent shockwaves through the Israeli political world on Tuesday when he announced the unexpected firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Gallant, who has served in the role since 2022, is a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party.

"Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the Defense Minister," Netanyahu said in a statement, adding: "I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider."

The outgoing minister will be replaced by current Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who himself will be replaced by center-right Minister Gideon Sa'ar.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated shortly.

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