Israeli Knesset member Gideon Sa’ar said he will not take the post of defence minister, which was offered to him by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Anadolu reports.

Israeli media reported early this week that Netanyahu was negotiating with Sa’ar, who is the head of the New Hope Party, to replace Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Sa’ar told Netanyahu that he was not interested in succeeding Gallant if he were removed, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant have surfaced concerning the government’s approach to growing border escalation with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as Gallant advocates exhausting diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, while Netanyahu is pushing for a large-scale military campaign.

Sa’ar, a former member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party, was part of the emergency government formed at the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip but withdrew in March after he was not included in the War Cabinet.