Israel’s new defense minister Israel Katz was sworn in

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz was sworn in before parliament on Thursday after his predecessor was unexpectedly dismissed by the prime minister over trust issues during the Gaza conflict.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following repeated disagreements over Israel’s military response to Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel on October 7 last year.
Katz, who previously served as foreign minister, assumed Gallant’s role, while Gideon Saar moved to the foreign minister position. Katz expressed Israel’s determination to overcome its enemies.
Diplomatic tensions with France marked Katz’s last day as foreign minister; Israeli authorities entered a French religious facility in Jerusalem and temporarily detained two gendarmes.
This incident led French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to cancel a planned visit to the Eleona church compound in East Jerusalem.
At Thursday’s joint meeting, Barrot acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defense while highlighting concerns about settlement activity, restrictions on humanitarian aid and ongoing air operations in northern Gaza.
Netanyahu’s decision to fire his defense minister during the war faced criticism from opposition leaders across Israel’s political divisions and triggered street demonstrations by thousands of citizens.
Key disagreements between Gallant and Netanyahu centered on exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men from military service.
While the sacked minister strongly supported military service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, Netanyahu favored preserving exemptions, concerned that compulsory service could destabilize his far-right coalition government.