Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering firing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and replacing him with New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar.
Netanyahu denied he was in negotiations with Sa’ar, but he has been at odds with Gallant for months as the devastating war against Hamas in Gaza rages on. Gallant, who was fired by Netanyahu as defense minister last year before being reinstated two weeks later, has been deeply critical of the prime minister’s prosecution of the war in Gaza — particularly for not accepting a cease-fire deal that would bring hostages home.
Sa’ar, who is a member of the opposition at the moment, would reportedly get the role in exchange for joining Netanyahu’s fragile coalition — a move that would give the prime minister more of a safety net in parliament with more seats. But hostage families are urging Sa’ar against making a deal with Netanyahu, accusing his government of abandoning their relatives.
This news also comes as the US warns Netanyahu against sparking a wider conflict in the region by going to war in Lebanon amid ongoing exchanges of cross-border fire with Hezbollah.
We’ll be watching this space closely in the days ahead.