TEL AVIV - Thousands of people are protesting at locations across Israel after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu is also planning to fire IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, the Walla news site reports, citing sources close to the prime minister. The report comes after Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. While Netanyahu has the sole authority to replace Bar, the defense minister is responsible for firing or nominating an IDF chief of staff. Incoming defense minister Israel Katz is widely seen as being willing to do Netanyahu’s bidding. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on the day of the US presidential election indicates that he was trying to avoid blowback from the Biden administration whose focus is currently elsewhere, a US official tells The Times of Israel. The Biden administration was caught off guard by the decision and is still working to gather more information, the US official says.