Who is Israel Katz, the 'unqualified' new defence minister of Israel?

Israel's new Defence Minister Israel Katz, known for his abrasive style, is a long-time ally and loyalist of Prime dMinister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a dramatic announcement late on Tuesday, Netanyahu sacked defence minister Yoav Gallant over what he said was a breakdown in trust during the war on Gaza.

"Over the past few months that trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defence minister," Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office.

The statement added that he had appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz to take Gallant's place.

Katz, labelled by Israeli media as a "bulldozer" for his combative style, is considered both close and loyal to Netanyahu.

After his appointment, Katz vowed to carry on Israel's brutal war in Gaza and achieve its war goals.

"We will work together to lead the defence establishment to victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war: the return of all hostages as the most important moral mission, the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon, the containment of Iranian aggression, and the safe return of the residents of the north and south to their homes," he said in a statement.

A member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, in which he was previously president of the party's convention, Katz has held multiple cabinet roles going back to 2003.

However, some Israelis criticised his appointment due to his lack of defence and military experience.

Born in 1955 in Ashkelon, Katz served in the Israeli army beginning in 1973, leaving four years later without achieving any senior rank, unlike Gallant who was a general before becoming Defence Minister in 2022.

Katz became a member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, in 1998.

Today he is among the highest-ranking ministers in the Likud party.

Married with two children, he is a resident of Moshav Kfar Ahim in southern Israel.

When Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 2023, Katz announced a total siege on Gaza and collective punishment of its inhabitants.

“Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electric switch will be turned on, no water tap will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home,” he said.

Attacks on the UN

He was later appointed foreign minister and  drew international attention for his pointed attacks on world leaders and international organisations that had expressed opposition to Israel's indiscriminate attacks on Gaza.

Katz spearheaded a campaign against the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and last month Israel's parliament banned the agency from working in Israel, Gaza, and occupied east Jerusalem.

On Monday, Katz instructed his ministry to formally notify the United Nations that Israel was cancelling its agreements with UNRWA.

There have been warnings that this will have a "catastrophic" effect in Gaza, bringing even more suffering to its beleaguered civilian population.

Last month Katz triggered outrage when he declared UN chief Antonio Guterres "persona non grata in Israel" and wrote in a post on X that he would ban him from entering the country.

Before serving as foreign minister, Katz's most notable role was as minister of transport.

He spent a decade in the post from 2009-2019, but had also held the energy and finance portfolios in various Netanyahu cabinets.

Aviv Bushinsky, a political commentator and Netanyahu's former chief of staff, told AFP that Katz was likely to be more in tune with the prime minister than his predecessor Gallant.

"I cannot recall an incident when Israel Katz was in opposition to Netanyahu with anything," Bushinsky said.

"Besides, Netanyahu thinks he can run the show himself - and he has managed to run the show even though Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, two generals, quit the government."