Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Ronen Bar will not remain head of the Shin Bet security service, despite a Supreme Court decision to freeze his dismissal.

"Ronen Bar will no longer be head of the Shin Bet," Netanyahu said in a recorded speech released by his office.

He claimed that Israel "will remain a democratic state... and there will be no civil war."

He added, "The time is right to end the term of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, following his agency's reports on the failures of October 7."

He continued, "This is what also happened with former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi," who left his post in early March and was succeeded by Eyal Zamir.

Since the Supreme Court froze Bar's dismissal, thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating, demanding that Netanyahu respect the court's decision and protesting the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief.

On Friday, the Netanyahu government decided to terminate Bar's duties on April 10 unless a permanent replacement is appointed before that date. The same day, the Israeli Supreme Court froze his dismissal pending consideration of petitions submitted against the decision.

The court did not specify when it would begin considering the petitions.

The opposition parties Yesh Atid, the State Camp, Yisrael Beiteinu, and the Democrats submitted a joint petition on Friday, and petitions were also submitted by organizations such as the Movement for Quality Government.

The petitions stated that the dismissal was based on external considerations related to the Shin Bet investigations into Netanyahu's office and the agency's recently published position, which holds the political leadership responsible for the October 7, 2023, disaster.

Netanyahu previously justified his decision to dismiss Bar by citing a "lack of confidence" in him, as part of the fallout from the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked 22 settlements and 11 military bases near Gaza, killing and capturing Israelis, in response to "the daily crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people and their holy sites."

Barr hinted that the prime minister's decision was politically motivated, and that it stemmed from his refusal to meet Netanyahu's demands for "personal loyalty."

In this context, the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz quoted Carmi Gillon, the former head of the Shin Bet, as saying at a demonstration in West Jerusalem on Thursday, "Netanyahu is sacrificing the Shin Bet and the attorney general on Sunday, and later this week, by destroying the standing of the Supreme Court."

He explained that this demonstration may be "the last democratic protest in the State of Israel."