JERUSALEM

A senior official in Israel’s spy agency Mossad has resigned over a dispute with the agency's director David Barnea, according to local media on Monday.

The commander of the Caesarea unit, which is responsible for Mossad’s special operations, submitted his resignation over a clash of opinions with Barnea, Channel 13 reported.

Mossad does not disclose the names of its officials and agents due to the secrecy of their work, but the channel identified the commander as “B”.

According to the broadcaster, the Mossad chief told the commander that he intended to make massive changes in the way the unit operates due to the difficulty of operating Israeli agents abroad.

As the commander failed to implement the necessary changes, a heated discussion erupted between the two men during which the Mossad chief criticized the commander and his senior officials.

“You have turned into a burden on the organization and we are obligated to make the changes,” Barnea reportedly told the commander.

After the meeting, the Israeli commander, his deputy and a number of agents resigned in protest.

Last November, Israeli media reported that three senior Mossad officials resigned from the agency over disputes with Barnea.

*Writing by Bassel Barakat