Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over a breakdown in trust during the Gaza war against Hamas, his office said.

The two have frequently clashed over Israel’s retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.

“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust between the prime minister and the defence minister is required,” Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.

“Although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and very productive work, over the past few months that trust has eroded,” he added of his Likud party colleague.

Netanyahu said he had appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz as the new defence minister, saying he had “already proven his abilities and his contribution to national security”.

Gallant responded to his sacking by posting on social media that “the security of the state of Israel was and will always remain the mission of my life”.

Netanyahu said he had made attempts to bridge the differences between him and Gallant.

“But they only grew wider. These divisions even reached public knowledge in an unusual manner and, worse, became known to our enemies, who took pleasure in them and derived substantial benefit from them,” he said.

“The growing breach of trust between the Defence Minister and me has become public, preventing the normal continuation of our campaign management,” Netanyahu said.

“In light of this, I have decided to end the Defence Minister’s tenure. I have chosen to appoint Minister Israel Katz as his replacement.”

Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza since the militant group’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed at least 43,391 Palestinians, a majority of them civilians, according to the territory’s health ministry, figures considered reliable by the UN.

AFP

Over 77 million ballots have been cast for the November 5 general election in the United States of America.

Fox News reports that early in-person and mail-in ballots have begun pouring in across the country, with the tally in each state revealing mounting voter enthusiasm.

States in the US have long allowed some citizens to vote early, such as members of the military and people with illnesses unable to get to the polls.

In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 presidential election, many states also expanded voting to in-person and mail-in ballots.

According to the report, recent polling suggests a razor-thin margin in the race between former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

By Francesca Hangeior.

Concerts and carnivals hosted at polling precincts. “Souls to the Polls” mobilizations after Sunday service.

And star-studded rallies featuring Hollywood actors, business leaders, musical artists and activists.

Such seemingly disparate efforts all have a single goal: boost Black voter turnout ahead of Election Day.

How Black communities turn out in the 2024 election has been scrutinized due to the pivotal role Black voters have played in races for the White House, Congress and state legislatures across the country.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who if elected would be the second Black president, has made engaging Black voters a priority of her messaging and policy platform.

Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump has sought to make inroads with Democrats’ most consistent voting bloc with unorthodox and at times controversial outreach.

A key strategy in Harris and Democrats’ Black voter outreach includes dispatching the first Black president and his wife, the former first lady, to battleground states where winning may come down to how well the Obamas convince ambivalent or apathetic voters that they must not sit this one out.

Democratic efforts have ranged from vigorous door-knocking campaigns in Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia this weekend to swing state rallies. Michelle Obama rallied voters in Norristown, Pennsylvania on Saturday alongside Grammy award-winning artist Alicia Keys while Barack Obama stumped in Milwaukee on Sunday.

The former first lady also conducted her own scrupulously nonpartisan rally on Tuesday where speakers evoked the South’s Civil Rights history.

“I’m always amazed at how little so many people really understand just how profoundly elections impact our daily lives,” Michelle Obama said. “Because that’s really what your vote is, it is your chance to tell folks in power what you want.”