Extract from ABC News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as it fights wars in Gaza and Lebanon. (Reuters: Amir Cohen)
In short:
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked his defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Mr Netanyahu says there have been too many differences of opinion with Mr Gallant over the management of Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
What's next?
Current Foreign Minister Israel Katz will replace Mr Gallant as defence minister.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sacked his defence minister Yoav Gallant, describing a 'crisis of trust' between the pair over Israel's handling of wars on multiple fronts.
In a video statement on Tuesday night, Jerusalem time, Mr Netanyahu announced he had pushed Mr Gallant out.
"In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defence," Mr Netanyahu said.
"Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the minister of defence."
He insisted he had tried to rebuild the relationship and "bridge the gaps" with Mr Gallant, but had little success.
"They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy — our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it," he said.
Mr Netanyahu appointed current Foreign Minister Israel Katz to the defence portfolio, with Gideon Sa'ar replacing him as Israel's top diplomat.
Mr Gallant's plan to enlist more soldiers had been causing rifts within the Netanyahu government. (Reuters: Violeta Santos Moura)
The Prime Minister's Office published the brief letter Mr Netanyahu sent to Mr Gallant, telling him he was being dismissed and thanking him for his service.
In a post on social media platform X, Yoav Gallant said "the security of the State of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life."
In March last year, protests erupted on the streets of Israel when Mr Netanyahu sacked Mr Gallant over his criticism of proposed changes to the country's judicial system.
Weeks later, the prime minister bowed to pressure and reinstated Mr Gallant to his cabinet.
Just yesterday, Mr Gallant had approved a plan to draft thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israel Defense Forces.
Many have been exempt from national service, due to their religious observance.
"We will have to enlist more populations and first and foremost haredi populations," Mr Gallant said on Tuesday.
The plan had been causing significant tension within the Netanyahu government, given hard line religious politicians form part of his coalition and the IDF is seriously strained fighting wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Mr Gallant was particularly active on social media, posting frequently about the IDF's operations.
Last week, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah appointed a new leader following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah by Israel in September.
Mr Gallant posted on X a photo of the group's new chief, Naim Qassem along with a caption "temporary appointment. Not for long."
World Health Organization says more than 100 patients to be evacuated from Gaza
More than 100 patients including children suffering from trauma injuries and chronic diseases will be evacuated from Gaza on Wednesday in a rare transfer out of the war-ravaged enclave, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) official.
"These are ad hoc measures. What we have requested repeatedly is a sustained medevac (medical evacuation) outside of Gaza," said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The patients will travel via the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel before flying to the United Arab Emirates, said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Some will then go on to Romania, he said, adding that 12,000 people were awaiting transfer.
Meanwhile, Israel's military has issued new evacuation warnings in the north of the Gaza Strip, after carrying out strikes across the enclave which Palestinian media and medics say have killed at least 30 people in the past two days.
The patients include children suffering from trauma injuries and chronic diseases. (Reuters: Raneen Sawafta )
Israel launches air strikes on northern Gaza
An air strike damaged two houses in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza and killed at least 20 people late on Monday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA and Hamas media said.
Four other people were killed in the central Gazan town of Al-Zawayda at about midnight on Monday, medics said.
The Gaza health ministry did not immediately confirm the tolls but Palestinian health officials said six people had also been killed in two separate Israeli air strikes in Gaza City and Deir Al-Balah in the central area of the narrow enclave.
The Israeli military said, without giving details, that its forces had "eliminated terrorists" in the central Gaza Strip and Jabalia area.
A displaced Palestinian boy standing outside a damaged store where he shelters with his family. (Reuters: Dawoud Abu Alkas)
Israeli troops had also located weapons and explosives over the past day in the southern Rafah area, where "terrorist infrastructure sites" had been eliminated, it said.
Later on Tuesday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets over Beit Lahiya, telling residents who had not yet left their homes and shelters housing displaced families to leave the town completely.
"To all those who remained at homes and shelters, you are risking your lives. For your safety you have to head south," said the leaflet, which was written in Arabic.
Palestinians said the new attacks and Israeli warnings for people to evacuate were aimed at emptying two northern Gaza towns and a refugee camp to create buffer zones.
Israel says the evacuations are meant to keep civilians out of harm's way as its troops battle Hamas fighters.
Hundreds of Palestinian gunmen have been killed or captured in the area of Jabalia over the past month, the Israeli military says.
More than 43,300 Palestinians have been killed in more than a year of war in Gaza, the authorities in Gaza say, and much of the territory has been reduced to ruins.
Israeli raid and strikes kill seven in West Bank
At least seven people were killed in the occupied West Bank region on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian health ministry, as the Israeli military conducted a raid and strikes.
Five of the seven people were killed in two separate Israeli attacks in and near the city of Qabatiya, while the two others were killed in the Tammoun area, the ministry said.
The Israeli military said its aircraft had targeted a group of gunmen and that its forces had arrested 60 militants.
Islamic Jihad's armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, said its fighters had clashed with Israeli forces in both Qabatia and the Tamoun areas.
Violence has surged in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, with almost daily sweeps by Israeli forces that have involved thousands of arrests and regular gun battles between security forces and Palestinian fighters.
Wires
No comments:
Post a Comment