"The crisis of trust that has gradually developed between me and the defense minister has become public knowledge, and this crisis does not allow for a proper continuation of the leadership of the campaign. Therefore, I have decided today to terminate the authority of the defense minister. I have decided to appoint [Foreign] Minister Israel Katz in his place," Netanyahu said in a statement, as quoted by media.
Netanyahu added that he had offered Minister Without Portfolio Gideon Saar the post of the Israeli foreign minister.
The decision to dismiss Gallant has provoked criticism from members of the opposition. National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, a former member of Netanyahu’s now-defunct war cabinet wrote on X referring to Netanyahu's decision: “Politics at the expense of national security."