Israeli public broadcaster KAN, citing informed sources on Monday, reported that negotiations are in progress between Netanyahu's office and Gideon Sa'ar, leader of the right-wing New Hope party, regarding the potential replacement of Gallant, who has been at odds with Netanyahu.
It reported that an announcement might be imminent, while Channel 13 indicated that Netanyahu's wife, Sara, a pivotal player in the situation, remained indecisive and unconvinced about the advantages of replacing a troublesome minister with one deemed disloyal.
Following the report, far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X platform that he had been demanding Gallant’s ouster for months “and the time has come to do so immediately.”
"We must resolve the situation in the north and Gallant is not the right man to lead this," Ben Gvir had formerly said, referring to a possible escalation with Hezbollah.
However, Netanyahu's office has refuted claims of negotiations with Sa'ar, while a spokesperson for the former ally turned rival stated that there is "nothing new" regarding the matter.
Sa'ar, an outspoken critic of Netanyahu's handling of the war, is presently serving as a member of the opposition.
This is while hundreds of Israeli settlers protested in Tel Aviv on Monday night and many others gathered outside Sa’ar's residence to voice their opposition to the dismissal of Gallant from the cabinet, sparking fears of a political coalition forming against Netanyahu, potentially led by Gallant himself.
In March 2023, Netanyahu fired Gallant from the cabinet following his public dissent against the regime's controversial judicial overhaul plan, sparking widespread protests that ultimately prompted Netanyahu to reconsider his stance.
MA/Press TV