JERUSALEM, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday announced that he has nominated Eli Sharvit, the former commander of the Israeli Navy, as chief of Israel's internal security service Shin Bet.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said the decision came after Netanyahu interviewed seven candidates.

Sharvit served 36 years in the Israeli army, including five years as the navy chief.

The retired vice admiral is set to replace current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar on April 10, who was dismissed by the government on March 21 following "a lack of trust," Netanyahu said.

Tensions between Netanyahu and Bar have heightened over accountability for the failures leading up to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

The friction was fueled by Shin Bet's investigations into the government's wartime decision-making and the "Qatar-Gate" affair, involving alleged undisclosed contacts between Netanyahu aides and Qatari officials.

This was the first time in Israel's history that the government has removed a Shin Bet head.

However, the new appointment is still subject to a decision by Israel's High Court of Justice, which is expected to be issued on April 8, following a petition filed by opposition factions in parliament against Bar's dismissal. Enditem

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