Israeli gov't approves dismissal of Shin Bet head

The Israeli government has unanimously approved the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, said the Prime Minister's office in a statement early Friday morning.

Bar's last day in office is set for April 10, earlier than the initially planned April 20, though he may leave sooner if a permanent replacement is confirmed.

Israeli media said this is the first time in Israel's history that a Shin Bet head has been removed by the government. The meeting to finalize his dismissal lasted about three and a half hours.

Bar was not present at the meeting but sent a letter condemning the move as being "entirely tainted by conflicts of interest" and a "fundamentally invalid" attempt to obstruct the Shin Bet's investigation into Qatar's influence on the Prime Minister's Office, local media reported.