Protests across Israel as Benjamin Netanyahu replaces defence minister

Protests erupted across Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu appointed a hawkish new defence minister.

Activists took to the street as the country's prime minister dismissed Yoav Gallant, citing a 'crisis of trust', and replaced him with Israel Katz.

They lit fires, blocked traffic and demanded Netanyahu resign as they called on the far right government to prioritise a hostage deal to end the war.

But the appointment of Mr Katz, known as the 'Bulldozer', suggests the administration will take an even more aggressive stance to Iran and its proxies.

He is a staunch ally of Netanyahu and seen as unlikely to push back on key decisions.

One protester, Yair Amit, said the PM should 'step down from his office and let serious people lead Israel'.

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The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents relatives of those taken, described the dismissal of Gallant as part of continued efforts to 'torpedo' a release deal for the hostages taken captive by militant group Hamas on October 7 last year.

Gallant's departure has been slated for months after he had taken Netanyahu to task for not prioritising the hostages.

He was also unhappy at plans to continue to allow Israel's Ultra Orthodox citizens to be exempt from serving in the military.

Months before the start of the war in Gaza in October last year, Netanyahu had fired Gallant over political differences, before reinstating him following a significant public outcry.

But on Tuesday, Netanyahu said: 'In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and the minister of defence.'

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He said that although there had been trust and 'fruitful work' in the first months of the war, 'during the last months this trust cracked'.

The decision to do so on the eve of the US elections has been viewed by some as a message to Washington that it would not dictate Israeli policy.

Katz has held multiple  positions in Israeli government in one shape or form since 2003, including stints as transport minister and most recently as foreign minister.

He was quick to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory yesterday.

He said: 'Congratulations to President-Elect Donald Trump on his historic victory. Together, we'll strengthen the US-Israel alliance, bring back the hostages, and stand firm to defeat the axis of evil led by Iran.'

Trump has a long friendship with Netanyahu from when the Israeli PM studied in the States during the 1980s.

However while the President-elect is a firm friend of Israel, he has also called for the war to end - saying too many have died.

Gallant has said his firing was due to disagreements over exceptions for military service, the needed for a national inquiry into October 7 failings and that the hostages must be prioritised.

In reference to the latter, he said: 'I determine that it is possible to achieve this goal. It requires painful concessions, which the state of Israel can carry and the IDF can bear.'

The new appointment comes as Israel is braced for Tehran to attack, as the Iranian regime has threatened to strike after the US election.