Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and is considering appointing New Hope chairman Gideon Sa’ar as his replacement, national broadcaster Kan reports, citing an official within the Prime Minister’s Bureau, Paralel.Az reports citing Times of Israel.

Following the report, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted that he had been demanding Gallant’s ouster for months “and the time has come to do so immediately.”

Rumors that Netanyahu would replace Gallant have been circulating for months, with Sa’ar denying in July that he had received an offer that would bring him back into the coalition.

In August, Channel 12 reported that alleged discussions aimed at having Sa’ar take over at the Defense Ministry had broken down after the premier’s wife and advisers indicated that they would not trust the hawkish former Likud politician as defense minister.

According to Channel 12, Sa’ar had demanded the defense portfolio but was rebuffed, instead being offered other roles such as foreign or justice minister rather than anything related to national security.

A spokesman for Sa’ar denied the report, telling The Times of Israel at the time that “there were no negotiations so there was no breakdown.”

As trust has dwindled between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, rumors have begun circulating that the prime minister was prepared to offer the position to Sa’ar, whose New Hope party quit the coalition earlier this year after its leader was denied a spot on the now-defunct war cabinet.

Sa’ar has since harshly criticized the government’s management of the war in Gaza and has said he would be willing to make “concessions” to create a right-wing bloc opposing Netanyahu.

Relations between Gallant and Netanyahu have been tense ever since Netanyahu announced he was firing Gallant in March 2023 over his criticism of the government’s judicial overhaul — before reversing course two weeks later under intense public pressure.

Members of Netanyahu’s cabinet have been calling for Gallant’s termination for months, angered, among other issues, by his opposition to an ultra-Orthodox enlistment bill backed by the government and his public break with the prime minister over a hostage deal and control over the so-called Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office says that reports of negotiations with Gideon Sa’ar “are incorrect.”

Sa’ar also denied the report, with a spokesman stating “There is nothing new in this matter.”