Israeli PM tries to sack Shin Bet chief amid hostage protests - but top court blocks move

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet internal security service - a move temporarily blocked by the country's top court.

Israel's government voted in favour of Mr Netanyahu's proposal to sack Ronen Bar - despite thousands protesting against it and criticising the prime minister's handling of the hostage crisis.

But Mr Bar got a brief reprieve hours after the vote, as the Supreme Court said it was delaying the firing until an appeal could be heard no later than 8 April.

The prime minister's office had said Mr Bar's dismissal was effective from 10 April, but that it could come earlier if a replacement was found.

It would be the first time a head of Shin Bet has been sacked in Israel's history.

Israel's attorney general has ruled that the cabinet has no legal basis to dismiss Mr Bar.

The cabinet vote came as thousands protested outside Mr Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on Thursday over his handling of the hostage situation and his plans to fire Mr Bar.

There were also protests calling for the release of hostages near his residence on Friday.

"Instead of firing the head of the Shin Bet, just to avoid an investigation, I think that the prime minister should be involved in rescuing the last hostages there are left in Gaza to die," said Michal Halperin, a protester.

The prime minister is facing mounting pressure at home after resuming airstrikes in Gaza earlier this week, bringing an end to a fragile ceasefire with Hamas which had brought relative peace to the region for almost two months.

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Announcing his plans to sack Mr Bar, Mr Netanyahu said he had "ongoing distrust" in the head of Shin Bet.

Mr Bar, who has headed the agency since 2021, was until recently one of the senior negotiators for Israel with mediators in Egypt and Qatar.

He was replaced by Ron Dermer, strategic affairs minister and a close confidante of the prime minister's, because Mr Netanyahu believed he was too soft in negotiations and leaked information to embarrass the government.

Mr Bar accepted responsibility for his failure to prevent the 7 October attacks and had already indicated he would step down once all the hostages were freed and a number of sensitive investigations were completed.

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