Netanyahu expected to announce halt to plans to overhaul Israeli judiciary

Israeli prime minister likely to put controversial legislation on hold amid mass protests overnight

Israel’s embattled prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to announce a halt to his far-right government’s proposal to overhaul the judiciary, after a decision to sack his defence minister for opposing the plans sparked mass protests across the country overnight.

Israeli media outlets, citing sources in Netanyahu’s Likud party, reported on Monday morning that in a televised address at 10.30am (8.30am BST) the prime minister was expected to announce a freeze to the bitterly contested legislation, which would limit the powers of the country’s supreme court.