Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, according to an announcement made by the Israeli leader on Tuesday.

This decision stems from significant disagreements in their approaches to ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, coupled with a perceived lack of trust between the two. Netanyahu’s office communicated Gallant’s removal via a letter delivered on Tuesday.

“The security of the State of Israel always was, and will always remain my life’s mission,” Gallant stated in a statement issued on Tuesday.

This development arrives amid Israel’s involvement in multiple conflicts, including engagements with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and ongoing exchanges of long-range strikes with Iran.

Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran last week, suggesting that Israel may target Tehran’s nuclear program in response to any further attacks on Israel.

“The supreme objective that I have set for the IDF and the security services is to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons,” he declared at a graduation ceremony for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). “Halting the nuclear program has been – and remains – our chief concern.”

“I have not taken, we have not taken, and we will not take, our eyes off this objective,” he added.

Netanyahu’s suggestion that Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities aligns with previous statements made by the IDF, vowing to escalate its attack “capabilities” and expand its target list if Iran retaliates against Israel.

The United States – Israel’s primary ally in its battles against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran – has repeatedly voiced concerns about Israel’s potential strikes against Iranian nuclear and oil facilities, fearing that such actions could trigger a wider regional war.

Reports from last week suggested that Iran might be waiting until after the U.S. presidential election before taking any further action.

‘ Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.