Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz took his oath of office in parliament on Thursday, after being unexpectedly removed by the prime minister due to trust issues during the Gaza conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Yoav Galant on Tuesday after repeated disagreements over Israel’s military response to Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
Katz, who had previously served as foreign minister, assumed Gallant’s role, while Gideon Saar took over as foreign minister. Katz expressed his commitment to defeat Israel’s adversaries.
Diplomatic tensions with France marked Katz’s last day as foreign minister, when Israeli officials entered a French-owned religious facility in Jerusalem and temporarily housed two genders.
The incident led French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to cancel his planned visit to the Aliona Church complex in East Jerusalem.
During a joint appearance on Thursday, Barot acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense while highlighting concerns about settlement activities, restrictions on humanitarian aid, and ongoing air operations in northern Gaza.
Netanyahu’s decision to fire the wartime defense minister drew criticism from opposition leaders across Israel’s political divides, triggering street demonstrations by thousands of citizens.
A notable disagreement between Gallant and Netanyahu centered on military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
The sacked minister strongly supported military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, while Netanyahu favored maintaining their exemption, worried that compulsory service could destabilize his far-right coalition government.