Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has officially dismissed Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet security service, following growing backlash over the agency’s failure to prevent the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli cabinet approved Bar’s early dismissal on Thursday, just days after Netanyahu announced his intention to remove him, citing a deepening “loss of trust” between the two leaders. The move has triggered widespread public protests, with thousands of Israelis rallying against the government’s broader handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

This marks the first time in Israel’s history that a sitting prime minister has removed the head of Shin Bet, the country’s powerful domestic intelligence agency responsible for counterterrorism and internal security.

In a letter to his cabinet, Netanyahu cited “persistent professional and personal distrust” in his relationship with Bar, especially during the ongoing war with Hamas. The Prime Minister’s office emphasized that the dismissal was due to operational failures, but Bar and his allies argue the decision is politically motivated.

Bar, who did not attend Thursday’s cabinet meeting, called his firing a “conflict of interest,” pointing to an ongoing investigation into Netanyahu’s alleged ties to Qatar. He suggested the probe may have influenced the decision to remove him.

Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has since ordered a formal investigation into Netanyahu’s office regarding the allegations.

The fallout from Bar’s dismissal adds further pressure on Netanyahu’s government as public scrutiny over security failures and political accountability continues to intensify.