JERUSALEM - Israel's Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government's decision in March to dismiss Ronen Bar, head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency, was "illegal and contrary to law".

The dismissal was carried out "through an improper process and in violation of the law," the three-judge panel wrote in their ruling seen by Xinhua.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a conflict of interest due to an ongoing investigation into a case dubbed "Qatar-Gate," the ruling added.

A blame game over the failure to prevent the Oct 7 Hamas-led attack has led to a standoff between Bar and Netanyahu, and the "Qatar-Gate" case, which probes into the alleged undisclosed contacts between Netanyahu's close aides and the Qatari government, has added to the tensions between the two sides.

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In March, Netanyahu announced Bar's dismissal, citing a loss of confidence in him. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and opposition leaders appealed the dismissal to the Supreme Court, which then froze the decision, pending further review.

In late April, Bar announced that he would resign on June 15. The next day, the Israeli government canceled its decision to fire Bar, and asked the Supreme Court to dismiss petitions challenging Bar's dismissal, arguing they had become moot following his resignation.