Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to dismiss Shin Bet director Ronen Bar amid a power struggle over responsibility for the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Axar.az, citing AP, reports that Netanyahu cites "ongoing distrust" with Bar, while the security chief insists on completing key investigations and hostage recovery efforts before stepping down.

The attorney general has demanded a legal justification for the move, as concerns rise that Netanyahu is trying to deflect blame and install a loyalist to slow momentum for an inquiry into the attack. Critics, including opposition leader Yair Lapid and civil society groups, call the move politically motivated and a threat to the rule of law.