Netanyahu fires security chief

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired the head of the country's security service for his failure to predict the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

It is known that the Israeli cabinet met on Thursday evening to officially approve the early dismissal of Ronen Bar, who was appointed in October 2021 for a five-year term as the head of the Shin Bet.

Netanyahu announced his intention to fire Bar in a video statement on Sunday, citing a "persistent distrust" between them.

The move sparked outrage and further ignited anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, which saw thousands of Israelis join forces with protesters opposing Israel's new offensive in Gaza.

And it is the first time in Israeli history that a government has dismissed the head of the Shin Bet, writes with the BBC, the Telegraph reports.

A letter sent by Netanyahu to members of his government before the meeting referred to a “continued loss of professional and personal trust” between the prime minister and Bar and proposed ending his term on April 20.

"The loss of professional trust has been consolidated during the war, beyond the operational failure of October 7, 2023, and especially in recent months," Netanyahu said.

Shin Bet is Israel's domestic intelligence agency and plays a key role in the war.

Its activities and membership are closely guarded state secrets.

However, Barr has described the decision to remove him as politically motivated.

The Times of Israel reported that Bar did not participate in the cabinet vote, but sent a letter saying his dismissal was "completely tainted by conflicts of interest" as the Shin Bet investigates the Prime Minister's Office over allegations of "Qatar's involvement at the heart of Israeli decision-making."

Otherwise, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara late last month ordered the police and Shin Bet to investigate officials within Netanyahu's office over alleged financial ties to Qatar.

Netanyahu's Likud party denies all charges. /Telegraph/