Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday, citing a breakdown of trust in the midst of a crucial military campaign and growing internal divisions within the government.

According to a statement released by his office, Netanyahu notified Gallant that his tenure as defense minister would end within 48 hours.

"I would like to thank you for your service as defense minister," Netanyahu concluded in a letter he handed to Gallant.

Gallant, a veteran Likud member and Netanyahu rival, has been replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, while Minister without Portfolio Gideon Sa’ar will assume the latter's former role. The reshuffle follows months of strained relations between Netanyahu and Gallant over the handling of the ongoing military operation and policy on the draft of ultra-Orthodox men in Israel.

In a video address, Netanyahu stated that although their early collaboration in the war effort was productive, recent disagreements have undermined their cooperation.

“Unfortunately, although in the first months of the war there was trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defense minister,” he said.

He also alleged that Gallant’s statements and actions directly contradicted cabinet decisions, with some remarks reportedly giving Israel’s enemies an unintended advantage.

“Our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” Netanyahu said, accusing Gallant of compromising Israeli security. “I made many attempts to bridge these gaps, but they kept getting wider."

Following his dismissal, Gallant issued a terse statement, saying that “the security of the State of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life’s mission.”

The move adds further uncertainty within Netanyahu’s administration, with Israeli reports suggesting the prime minister is also considering the dismissal of Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. While Netanyahu has sole authority over Bar’s position, the decision to replace the chief of staff would fall to Gallant’s successor, Israel Katz, who is widely seen as aligning closely with Netanyahu.

Netanyahu's decision to dismiss Gallant on the day of the U.S. presidential election suggests an effort to sidestep potential backlash from the Biden administration, which is currently focused elsewhere, a U.S. official told The Times of Israel.

The official added that the Biden administration was taken by surprise by the move and is still working to gather further details.