Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country fights wars on multiple fronts across the region.

The move sparked protests across the country on Tuesday, including a mass gathering that paralysed central Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over Israel’s war on Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his minister before taking the step as the world’s attention was focused on the United States presidential election.

Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” as reasons for the firing. He replaced Gallant with longtime loyalist Israel Katz, the country’s foreign minister.

Within hours of the announcement, thousands of protesters gathered in central Tel Aviv, blocking the city’s main highway and crippling traffic.

The crowds, many holding Israeli flags and others blowing whistles and pounding drums, gathered around multiple bonfires.

Several thousand people demonstrated outside Netanyahu’s home in Jerusalem and elsewhere in the city.

Protesters gathered and blocked roads in several other spots across the country, and Israeli TV stations showed images of police scuffling with protesters.