AL-QUDS (Dispatches) – 
Thousands of people protested against the Zionist regime’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding the regime do everything in its power to bring home captives held in Gaza.
The demonstration erupted soon after Netanyahu’s office announced the sacking of Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following public differences over the war with Hamas.
The removal of Gallant — a hawk on the war Hezbollah in Lebanon who also pushed for a ceasefire and captive release deal in Gaza — coincided with the presidential election in the United States, the Zionist regime’s top military backer.
Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over the regime’s onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza since October 7 last year.
“Over the past few months... trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense (war) minister,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that foreign minister Israel Katz would take his place.
Shortly afterwards, thousands of people took to the streets of commercial hub Tel Aviv, chanting slogans against Netanyahu and demanding the return of 97 captives held in Gaza.
Protesters blocked traffic and lit fires, with some wearing “Bring them home now!” T-shirts referring to the captives.
They held up signs with slogans such as “We deserve better leaders” and “Leaving no one behind!,” and one protester wore handcuffs and a face mask with Netanyahu’s likeness.
The reshuffle’s timing comes at a critical juncture in the Gaza and Lebanon wars.
Jonathan Rynhold of the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University said Netanyahu “is also taking advantage of the fact that the U.S. election is happening today... everyone’s focus is elsewhere.”
After his appointment, Katz vowed “victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war.”
Gideon Saar, a minister without portfolio, was appointed to replace Katz as foreign minister.
After being fired, Gallant posted on X and called on the regime to bring home the captives in Gaza while they were “still alive” and insisted all Israelis of draft age must serve in the military — a key issue that he and Netanyahu had disagreed on.
The sacked minister had been a key advocate for ultra-Orthodox Jews to be called up, but Netanyahu wanted their exemption to continue, fearing their conscription could break up his far-right coalition regime.