Ronen Bar was formally dismissed by the Israeli cabinet on ThursdayIsrael's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired the head of the nation's security service over its failure to anticipate the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas.
The Israeli cabinet met on Thursday evening to formally approve the early dismissal of Ronen Bar, who was appointed in October 2021 for a five-year term as the Shin Bet's chief.
Netanyahu announced his intention to sack Mr Bar in a video statement on Sunday, citing an "ongoing distrust" between the two men which he said had "grown over time".
The move sparked outrage and further inflamed anti-government demonstrations in Jerusalem, which saw thousands of Israelis join forces with protestors opposing Israel's renewed assault on Gaza.
A letter sent to sent by Netanyahu to members of his government ahead of the meeting referenced a "persistent loss of professional and personal trust" between the prime minister and Mr Bar, and proposed his term end on 20 April.
The Shin Bet is Israel's domestic intelligence agency and plays a key role in the war. Its activities and membership are closely-held state secrets.
Yesh Atid, the centre-right party led by Yair Lapid, said it had filed an appeal on behalf of several opposition parties and denounced the sacking as a "decision taken due to a blatant conflict of interest by the prime minister".
More than 48,500 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
Israel and Hamas failed to agree how to take the ceasefire beyond the first phase, with negotiations expected to have started six weeks ago.
Israel blocked all food, fuel and medical supplies entering Gaza at the beginning of March in order to put pressure on Hamas.
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