Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets in recent days to call for a new hostage deal and to protest against political moves by the far-right religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Thursday night, protesters marched in Jerusalem to protest Netanyahu's dismissal of Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service. The prime minister said earlier this week that he had lost confidence in Bar.

Overnight, the government "unanimously approved" Netanyahu's proposal to end Bar's term in office by April 10, a statement from the prime minister's office said. On Friday, Israel's top court ordered a temporary halt to the dismissal until an appeal can be heard no later than April 8.

Bar didn't attend the meeting but sent a letter to ministers referencing Shin Bet's ongoing investigation of senior Netanyahu advisors over allegedly receiving paid jobs to promote Qatari interests. The letter warned that firing the director of Israel's security service "reeks of foreign interests" and was an "unprecedented conflict of interest."

The protests also condemned the renewed Israeli offensive in Gaza, which has abruptly ended a two-month temporary ceasefire. Netanyahu's decision to resume bombardments on Tuesday has killed and injured hundreds of Palestinians and made the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza uncertain.

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