Netanyahu fires two key ministers ahead of Israeli polls

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired his education and justice ministers, days after parliament voted to hold new elections.

An official in Netanyahu's office confirmed that Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, two hawkish former allies, were dismissed from the interim government. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

There was no explanation for Sunday's firings.

Last week Israel's parliament voted to hold early elections, less than two months after April's polls, as Netanyahu failed to muster a governing coalition.

Shaked, the justice minister, and Bennett, the education minister, have not said if they are running in September's election. Their New Right party failed to enter parliament in April, but they remained on the job pending formation of a new government.

Netanyahu failed to build a coalition after the April polls and opted instead for parliament to dissolve itself and approve new elections.

That prevented Israeli President Reuven Rivlin from selecting someone else to form a government.

Netanyahu has frequently clashed with Bennett, but it was unclear why he chose to dismiss him and Shaked now.

Both Shaked and Bennett also served in Netanyahu's security cabinet, and the Jerusalem Post quoted sources close to the prime minister saying their service should not continue after they were rejected by voters.

The sackings could also allow Netanyahu to use the vacated ministries for pre-election bargaining.