Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said Wednesday he had resigned from parliament after often taking an independent line from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies in the government.

Netanyahu dismissed Galant from the government in November, after months of disagreements over how to manage the war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but he retained his seat as an elected member of the Knesset.

"Just as on the battlefield, so it is in public service. There are moments when one must stop, evaluate and choose a direction in order to achieve goals," Galant said in a televised statement.

Galant has frequently fallen out with Netanyahu and his allies in the far-right and religious coalition, including over exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, a hot-button issue in Israel.

In March 2023, Netanyahu fired Galant after he demanded a halt to a highly controversial government plan to reduce the powers of the Supreme Court. His dismissal sparked mass protests, prompting Netanyahu to back down.

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Galant and Netanyahu, along with a Hamas leader, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. Israel rejects the court’s ruling on Galant and Netanyahu.

Abed Afif, a Druze, is expected to replace former Defense Minister Yoav Galant of the Likud, after his resignation from the Knesset, according to Hebrew media reports.

Afif was placed 44th on the Likud list in the 2022 Knesset elections, and if he enters the Knesset, Afif will be the only Druze lawmaker in the ruling coalition, according to the Times of Israel.