Delhi, India, November 8 (HBTV): Israel's new Defence Minister, Israel Katz, was sworn in before parliament on Thursday, following the dismissal of his predecessor Yoav Gallant by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gallant was dismissed after a breakdown in trust between him and Netanyahu over Israel's military response to Hamas in Gaza, following the deadly October 7 attack.

Katz, formerly the foreign minister, vowed to defeat Israel's enemies and replace Gallant. His tenure as foreign minister ended amid a diplomatic incident with France when Israeli police briefly detained French gendarmes at a church compound in Jerusalem, leading to a cancelled visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.   

Barrot condemned Israel's actions while expressing support for its right to self-defense.

Netanyahu's decision to fire Gallant during the ongoing conflict has sparked outrage, with opposition leaders and thousands of protesters criticizing the move. Gallant had also been a strong advocate for conscripting ultra-Orthodox men into military service, a point of contention with Netanyahu's far-right coalition. 

(Times of India)