Sacking of Israeli defence minister triggers protest

KABUL (Pajhwok): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacked his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in a move that sparked protests in the country.

The BBC quoted Netanyahu as saying his trust in Gallant had eroded in recent months and that was why he fired the minister. Foreign Minister Israel Katz will replace him.

Gallant linked his removal to disagreement with Netanyahu on concessions for the release of hostages held in Gaza and other issues.

The sacking of the minister prompted many to take to the streets, demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and an early hostage swap agreement.

During the past year, there have been reports of shouting matches between Netanyahu and Gallant over Israel’s war strategy.

"In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defence," Netanyahu stressed:

For his part, Gallant wrote on social media the "security of the state of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life".

Angered by the prime ministerial decision, some protesters lit fires on the Ayalon Highway and hindered traffic in both directions.

Of about 100 hostages out of 251 taken by Hamas on more than a year ago are still unaccounted. Calls for the Israeli government to secure their release are steadily growing.

PAN Monitor/mud