Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of his defense minister, demanding the government do everything in its power to bring home hostages held in Gaza.

The demonstration erupted soon after Netanyahu’s office announced the sacking of Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following public differences over the war with Hamas.

The removal of Gallant — a hawk on the war Hezbollah in Lebanon who also pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza — coincided with the presidential election in the United States, Israel’s top military backer.

Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel’s retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on 7 October last year.

“Over the past few months... trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense minister,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that foreign minister Israel Katz would take his place.

Shortly afterwards, thousands of people took to the streets of commercial hub Tel Aviv, chanting slogans against Netanyahu and demanding the return of 97 hostages held in Gaza.

Protesters blocked traffic and lit fires, with some wearing “Bring them home now!” T-shirts referring to the hostages.

They held up signs with slogans such as “We deserve better leaders” and “Leaving no one behind!” and one protester wore handcuffs and a face mask with Netanyahu’s likeness.

‘Victory over our enemies’

The reshuffle’s timing comes at a critical juncture in the Gaza and Lebanon wars, with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon massively weakened.

Jonathan Rynhold of the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University said Netanyahu was feeling “emboldened because he is improving in the polls.”

“He is also taking advantage of the fact that the US election is happening today... everyone’s focus is elsewhere,” he told Agence France-Presse.

After his appointment, Katz vowed “victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war,” including “the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon” and the return of hostages.

Gideon Saar, a minister without portfolio, was appointed to replace Katz as foreign minister.

After being fired, Gallant posted on X that Israel’s security would remain his life’s “mission.”

He called on the government to bring home the hostages in Gaza while they were “still alive” and insisted all Israelis of draft age must serve in the military — a key issue that he and Netanyahu had disagreed on.

The sacked minister had been a key advocate for ultra-Orthodox Jews to be called up, but Netanyahu wanted their exemption to continue, fearing their conscription could break up his far-right coalition government.

After Gallant’s dismissal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group urged Katz “to prioritize a hostage deal... to secure the immediate release of all hostages.”

Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri welcomed the sacking of Gallant, who especially in the early months of the war was seen as a key architect of the fight against the militant group.

“Netanyahu dismissed Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who was bragging that he would eliminate Hamas. Today, we say to them that Gallant is gone, but Hamas remains, and will remain, God willing,” Abu Zuhri said.