Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday (local time) that he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer, his first public confirmation of the diagnosis.
Netanyahu said he underwent prostate surgery nearly a year and a half ago, and nearly two and a half months ago his doctors found and treated a small tumor at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital with radiation therapy. This was not announced at the time.
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The revelation comes as Netanyahu is set to visit the White House in the coming weeks as Washington tries to broker a long-term peace deal in the war with Iran. In addition, a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Lebanon following fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah was extended by three weeks.
Netanyahu shares health updates on social media
Netanyahu shared his health condition on X, writing: “When I receive timely information about a potential danger, I want to deal with it immediately. This is true on a national level and also on a personal level. That’s what I did. I underwent a targeted treatment that eliminated the problem and left no traces. I had a few short treatments, read a book and continued to work.”
Commenting on the tumor, he said: “I asked to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be published at the height of the war” against Iran to avoid “further false propaganda against Israel”. Describing the tumor as a “minor health problem,” Netanyahu said he is now healthy.
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Aharon Popovtser, director of Hadassah Hospital’s oncology department, said Netanyahu was diagnosed at an early stage, noting that prostate cancer is common in men his age. Popovtser said: “Based on the results of these tests, we can say that the disease has disappeared.”
Netanyahu’s health was a topic during the Iran war
The health of Israel’s prime minister became the subject of speculation during the first weeks of the war with Iran after fake and artificial intelligence (AI) images suggesting he had died began circulating online, including by Iranian state media.
Netanyahu dispelled rumors of his death, describing the story broadcast by Iranian state media and discussed online as “fake news”. The speculation came after Iran launched retaliatory attacks in the early days of the war. For example, social media posts described two videos released by the Israeli prime minister in March as inauthentic, suggesting they were proof he was dead.
Netanyahu’s health concerns
The Israeli leader has been hospitalized several times since returning to office in December 2022, AFP reported, citing his office. In July 2023, roughly three months before the start of the Gaza war, which was triggered by a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel, Netanyahu had a pacemaker implanted following a brief hospitalization after complaining of dizziness.
In March 2024, he underwent hernia surgery, and in December of the same year, he underwent surgery for an enlarged prostate.
Tel Aviv’s longest-serving prime minister, who oversees not only the Iran war but also conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, has faced criticism for not disclosing information about his health. This includes when he told the public that he had a pacemaker implanted to treat a long-term heart condition, a week after he fainted at a public appearance.
