As part of a planned reshuffle, the Israeli government gave its approval for the appointment of a new foreign minister, replacing Eli Cohen, as outlined in a statement released on Sunday.
A ministerial rotation, contingent on parliamentary approval, will see the current energy minister, Israel Katz, switch positions with Cohen.
‘The government has now approved appointing Eli Cohen to the position of minister of energy and infrastructure… and to appoint Israel Katz to the position of minister of foreign affairs,’ the statement said.
The government, pending parliamentary approval, has decided that Cohen will persist as a member of the security cabinet.
The reshuffle comes more than two months after war broke out between Israel and the Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers, triggered by the militants’ unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7.
Cohen, in a recent Israeli radio interview, admitted that the government is accountable for the failure to predict the Hamas attack. He proposed the formation of an independent commission of inquiry after the war.
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Based on Israeli figures, an AFP tally reports that the militants’ attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,140 individuals, with civilians being the primary casualties.
Israel launched a relentless military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the October 7 attack. The offensive has killed more than 21,800 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
Last year, Cohen assumed the role of foreign minister within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, widely acknowledged as the most right-wing in Israeli history.
Instrumental in the normalization process, Cohen contributed significantly to thawing relations between Israel and several Arab countries after years of hostilities.
Israel, in mid-2020, announced the normalization of ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, marking a significant diplomatic achievement referred to as the “Abraham Accords.”