Tel Aviv, 31 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Israel Katz, Israel's current energy minister, is to succeed Eli Cohen as the country's foreign minister, as per a rotation agreement approved by the government on Sunday.

Cohen in turn will take on the post of energy minister.

The agreement to rotate the two positions was struck by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing religious government coalition last year.

The swap still needs to be approved by parliament.

Cohen is to remain part of Israel's Security Cabinet as the country continues its military campaign to defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to media reports.

Katz, 68, from the governing Likud party, had already served as foreign minister under a previous Netanyahu-led government from 2019 to 2021.

Photo: MIA archive