Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Thursday evening near Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in occupied Jerusalem, demanding the release of Israeli prisoners, rejecting the ongoing war on Gaza, and objecting to attempts to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

Coinciding with the protests, the Israeli government began a meeting on Thursday evening to vote on the dismissal of Bar. Bar did not attend the meeting, but he sent an official letter in which he sharply criticized Netanyahu, claiming that the latter had decided to dismiss him in order to prevent an investigation into the events of October 7, 2023.

This comes as former Israeli Supreme Court President and retired Justice Aharon Barak warned that Israel could slide into civil war, in statements he made to Israeli media on Thursday evening.

The protests, which continued for the second day, witnessed clashes between demonstrators and police, who attempted to suppress and disperse the demonstration by force. Police also smashed the windows of several vehicles carrying demonstrators.

Several video clips showed Israeli police officers smashing the windows of parked cars during the demonstration, which saw thousands of people protest the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief and demand an end to the war and a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal.

"The vehicles completely blocked the intersection, endangering road users," Israeli police said in a statement. "The vehicle's occupants locked themselves inside and refused to leave the intersection, despite repeated police requests, in violation of the law."

She added, "Even after being informed of their arrest, they refused to open the door or move the vehicle, so after additional warnings, the police were forced to break some windows to carry out their duties legally."

Bar on his dismissal: Baseless allegations based on personal interests that prevent the truth from being revealed

In his letter to Netanyahu, Barr explained his reason for not attending the meeting, saying, "A substantive response to such allegations requires an organized process that includes the presentation of relevant documents, not a process that appears orchestrated and whose outcomes are predetermined."

Bar addressed the reasons for his dismissal, saying that these are "baseless allegations based on personal interests and preventing the truth from being revealed, both regarding the events that led to the October 7 attack and the serious incidents currently being investigated by the Shin Bet."