The defence minister of Israel, Yoav Gallant officially stepped down in a ceremony that replaced him with Israel Katz, the former foreign minister, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant earlier this week, reports Al Jazeera.
Gallant thanked the military and warned the war’s “mission is not yet complete; we must meet our moral and traditional obligation, and the war’s objective is to bring home the remaining 101 hostages who haven’t yet seen their families and homes”.
Israel has been rocked by Gallant’s dismissal, with the news setting off mass protests across the country. Many in Israel view Gallant as the sole moderate voice in a far-right government, and see his removal as a sign the far-right government has lost interest in returning captives held in Gaza.
Katz, his replacement, is a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran cabinet minister.
Katz thanked Gallant and said the war’s objectives were to “stop Iranian aggression and deny its capabilities, continue dismantling Hamas as a governing and military force, and defeat Hezbollah”. He added that returning the captives was a top “moral priority”.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
