Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 76, has publicly acknowledged that he received successful treatment for early-stage prostate cancer. He stated that a small malignant tumor was discovered during a routine check-up and treated with radiation therapy at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital. Aharon Popovtser, director of the hospital's oncology unit, noted that the cancer is common for men of Netanyahu's age and confirmed that imaging and blood work show the disease has disappeared.
Netanyahu revealed that he underwent prostate surgery roughly 18 months ago. The recent tumor was discovered during follow-up care approximately two and a half months ago. The prime minister described the diagnosis as a minor medical issue and stated that the treatment left no trace of the cancer, leaving him in excellent physical condition and good health.
The prime minister explained that he requested to delay the publication of his annual medical report by two months to prevent the news from being released at the height of the war with Iran, which he said would prevent false propaganda. This disclosure comes after AI-generated images suggesting Netanyahu had died circulated on Iranian state media during the early weeks of the conflict.
Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is currently overseeing conflicts in Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon. He has faced past criticism for his lack of transparency regarding his health, including a delay in disclosing that he had a pacemaker implanted for a heart condition until a week after he fainted during a public appearance.