TRANSCRIPT
The Israeli Prime Minister has sacked defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing a breakdown of trust between the pair.
“Over the past few months, this trust has cracked between me and the Minister of Defense. Significant gaps were discovered between me and Gallant in the management of the (military) campaign, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradict the decisions of the government and the decisions of the cabinet."
In 2023, an attempt to fire the defence minister was met with protests against the Prime Minister.
Today, protests over the well-liked defence minister's dismissal erupted again as Israelis in Tel Aviv obstructed a highway and lit fires in the street.
Mr Netanyahu has announced that foreign minister and Netanyahu loyalist Israel Katz is to take over the portfolio, with Gideon Saar taking over the role of foreign minister.
“Israel Katz has already proven his abilities and his contribution to national security also as foreign minister, as finance minister, as intelligence minister for five years, and no less important than that, as a member of the political and security cabinet for many long years. He brings with him an impressive change of rich experience and executive ability. He is known as a bulldozer with a combination of responsibility and firmness, quiet firmness, and all of these are very important for managing the system."
Overnight, Israel has reportedly killed at least 54 people in Gaza and seven more in raids on the occupied West Bank as it continues its bombardment of the region.
The World Health Organization is conducting a rare medical evacuation of more than 100 critical patients out of Gaza.
Israeli attacks have crushed the healthcare system in Gaza and the recent bombardment of the north has seen frequent strikes on the remaining hospitals.
The patients, who include children, will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates and Romania.
The W-H-O representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, says there are thousands more in Gaza who need this.
“These are ad hoc measures. What we would have been requested for, repeatedly, we need a sustained medevac outside Gaza. An organised, a better organised, sustained medevac. So, we estimate that approximately 12,000 to 14,000 critical patients need to be medevaced, half of them probably trauma related etcetera, or the serious trauma cases, amputation, spinal cord injuries, burns, etc. But the other half is also the chronic patients, oncology, etc.”
In Lebanon, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are launching an international appeal asking donors to provide resources for Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Israel has killed thousands of people in Lebanon in the past year and its recent invasion and air assault has displaced over one million people from their homes.
Secretary General of the federation, Jagan Chapagain says the level of need in unacceptable.
“I just visited one of the community centres. Now the people need hygiene kits. People need non-food items. People need blankets. People need heaters. Is the, is the as the winter approaches, so, these are all the needs. The Lebanese Red Cross is expected by the population to provide. And through this appeal, we at least hope to make a contribution so they can continue. We feel that they even if the if the hostilities stop. It will take time for things to go back to normal. That's one of the reason our emergency appeal, goes for two years."
