Israel's Supreme Court temporarily blocked Prime Minister Netanyahu's dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, sparking mass protests. Bar criticized his firing as politically motivated, while Netanyahu blamed the "leftist Deep State." The protests also opposed the government's decision to resume fighting in Gaza, risking the lives of hostages still held by Hamas.

Israel's Supreme Court on Friday temporarily halted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, until an appeal against the decision can be heard.

The court's intervention followed a unanimous vote by the Israeli government on Thursday supporting Netanyahu's move to fire Bar. A government statement confirmed, "The Government unanimously approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to end ISA Director Ronen Bar's term of office."

Since Tuesday, tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated against the government's decision. Meanwhile, Shin Bet and the Israeli police are investigating several of Netanyahu's aides over alleged financial ties to Qatar while working for the Israeli leader.

Bar did not attend the meeting where the decision to dismiss him was made. Instead, he sent a letter, which was later leaked to Israeli media. In the letter, Bar criticized the firing process as "inappropriate for any employee, let alone a high-ranking one, let alone the head of the Shin Bet." He suggested that Netanyahu's reasoning for his dismissal might be an attempt to "hide the real motives" behind the decision, which he described as "profoundly wrong."

Addressing Netanyahu's claim that he had lost trust in the Shin Bet leader, Bar argued, "This is not about the lack of trust, but about the perception of personal loyalty over loyalty to the public."

In response, Netanyahu posted on his X account, accusing what he called the "leftist Deep State" of trying to "thwart the people's will."

The dismissal has intensified public unrest, leading to clashes between protesters and police near the Prime Minister's official residence. Several protesters attempted to breach police barricades, resulting in injuries and the use of water cannons by police.

Yair Golan, leader of the Democratic opposition party, was pushed to the ground by police during the protest. Following the incident, he posted on his X account, "A few pushes will not stop me. Now, we keep on fighting, we bring back the hostages, and we stop the coup!"

The demonstrations also addressed concerns over the resumption of fighting in Gaza, which broke a two-month ceasefire. Protesters argued that the decision to end the ceasefire jeopardized the potential return of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Many hostages released during the ceasefire criticized the government's decision on social media, with some describing it as a "death sentence" for those still in captivity.

Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by Israel, Germany, the United States, and several other countries, currently holds 59 hostages from its October 7, 2023, attack, with about 20 thought to still be alive.

Recent opinion polls indicate that most Israelis favor continued negotiations for a hostage exchange that could end the conflict and lead to the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip.