Thousands of Israelis protested against prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 dismissal of his defence minister, demanding the government do everything in its power to bring home hostages held in Gaza.
The demonstration erupted soon after Netanyahu鈥檚 office announced the sacking of Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following public differences over the war with Hamas.
The removal of Gallant 鈥� a hawk on the war Hezbollah in Lebanon who also pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza 鈥� coincided with the presidential election in the United States, Israel鈥檚 top military backer.
Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel鈥檚 retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group鈥檚 deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
鈥極ver the past few months trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defence minister,鈥� Netanyahu鈥檚 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 鈥楤ring them home now!鈥� T-shirts referring to the hostages.
They held up signs with slogans such as 鈥榃e deserve better leaders鈥� and 鈥楲eaving no one behind!鈥�, and one protester wore handcuffs and a face mask with Netanyahu鈥檚 likeness.
The reshuffle鈥檚 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 鈥榚mboldened because he is improving in the polls鈥�.
鈥楬e is also taking advantage of the fact that the US election is happening today everyone鈥檚 focus is elsewhere,鈥� he said.
After his appointment, Katz vowed 鈥榲ictory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war鈥�, including 鈥榯he destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon鈥� 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鈥檚 security would remain his life鈥檚 鈥榤ission鈥�.
He called on the government to bring home the hostages in Gaza while they were 鈥榮till alive鈥� and insisted all Israelis of draft age must serve in the military 鈥� 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.
Hamas鈥檚 October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages in their attack, of whom Israel believes 63 people including two children are still alive in Gaza.
After Gallant鈥檚 dismissal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group urged Katz 鈥榯o prioritise a hostage deal. to secure the immediate release of all hostages鈥�.
Hamas spokesman 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.
