The locks of the Attorney-General's office in Tel Aviv were unexpectedly changed, the office of Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin confirmed.
Staff found themselves locked out of their offices on Monday morning.
Levin's office confirmed the change of locks, first reported by KAN News, while adding that "this is a claim that is nothing less than delusional."
"The locks on the minister's office in Tel Aviv were indeed changed, but it is the minister's office and not of Gali Baharav-Miara's. Her attempt to make unauthorized use of the minister's office is another example of puzzling behavior on the part of someone who has already been removed from her position."
The A-G's office and the minister's office in Tel Aviv are both located in the Justice Ministry's offices in the government building in Tel Aviv.
The Movement for the Quality of Government has demanded an immediate investigation into Levin for changing the locks at the Attorney General's Office, adding that it "constitutes a blatant violation of the Attorney-General's independence and proper administration. The minister and his people must not be allowed to act violently and take control against a legal advisor whose dismissal decision was frozen by the High Court of Justice.
"This conduct reveals the government's true narrative - that this is not a 'mechanism change' but a clear personal and political move to silence those who interfere with their activities."
Israeli officials' reactions
Former justice minister Avi Nissenkorn said that, "The office in Tel Aviv is used jointly by the justice minister and the Attorney-General. This was the practice during my tenure as well. Changing the locks in a way that prevents the Attorney-General from entering the office - another disgrace in a long chain of actions."
"Changing the locks in the Attorney-General's office is a violation of a High Court order," Democrats Leader Yair Golan said. "This is not a government - it is a criminal gang seizing power by force.
"We must fight them with all our might - in the streets, on strike, in the courts, and at the ballot box until we send them home and restore sanity," he added.
Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid says, "While the hostages are dying in Gaza and the IDF is fighting for our lives, [Levin] is violating clear court rulings. In Israel's most difficult time, we have a government of evaders, corrupt people, and lawbreakers."