Israelis slam Netanyahu's plan to sack domestic security service chief
World
protesters criticised Prime Minister Netanyahu and and called the move "a war against the hostages"
TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israeli protesters and relatives of hostages rallied on Sunday in Tel Aviv demanding a hostage deal and ceasefire with Hamas.
During the rally, protesters criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's move to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and called it "a war against the hostages."
Netanyahu said on Sunday he would ask the government to approve his dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Ronen Bar.
Ronen Bar's sacking would be likely to draw widespread criticism as Israel faces the prospect of a renewal of fighting in Gaza with dozens of Israeli hostages still held there.
Netanyahu said he had long ago lost confidence in Bar and that trust in the head of the domestic security service, whose roles include counter-terrorism and security for government officials, was especially crucial at a time of war.
Bar said the only confidence he was obliged to win was that of Israel's citizens, and that Netanyahu's expectations of "personal trust" went against state interests, with possible escalation in Gaza looming.
Shin Bet, the Israeli counterpart of the US Federal Bureau of Investigations, is part of a probe into possible links between employees in Netanyahu's office and Qatar, which has been mediating Gaza ceasefire talks.
Appointed in 2021 by the previous government, Bar has acknowledged his responsibility for the October 7 failure, most recently this month in an investigation of its actions on the day of the assault and the time leading up to it.
Bar said he had told Netanyahu he planned to step down, but only once the remaining 59 hostages were home and after completing "sensitive investigations."
