Israel appoints new foreign minister

The Israeli government on December 31 approved the appointment of a new foreign minister to replace Eli Cohen, who will become energy minister as part of a pre-arranged ministerial rotation.

The appointments are subject to Israeli parliamentary approval, Reuters reports citing a government statement.

Cohen will continue to serve as a member of the security cabinet while Yisrael Katz will serve as foreign affairs minister, the statement said as Israel enters its 86th day of war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 240 hostages.

The Israeli government also gave the green light for postponed municipal elections to take place in February, subject to parliamentary approval.

"We usually do not hold elections in wartime but these elections have been determined in advance," a statement from the prime minister's office said. "They have already been postponed once."