Israel Katz announced on live television on Sunday that Avi Bluth, who is responsible for IDF operations in the West Bank, is being dismissed and replaced by Dado Bar-Khalifa.
The announcement was made without first informing the IDF, the military wrote on Telegram. According to the statement, Bluth will not be replaced following the minister's remarks.
“Once such a decision is made, it will be made by the Chief of General Staff and approved in accordance with applicable procedures.”
According to the Israeli Haaretz, the attempt to replace Bluth is seen as politically motivated after he questioned Katz's handling of a far-right settler in the West Bank.
During the television appearance, Katz said that Bluth's criticism was "a slip" and that he wants a military that "attacks its enemies and protects its settlers."
Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated recently. Several officers in the Israeli military are urging settlers to remain calm. Haaretz has previously reported that the officers want the government to tighten the legal process for settler groups that organise acts of violence against Palestinian villages.
