Benjamin Netanyahu says he was treated for prostate cancer and is now healthy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer in his first public acknowledgment of the diagnosis.

He said that roughly a year and a half ago he had prostate surgery. Then two and a half months ago, his doctors discovered and treated a small tumour at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital with radiation therapy. That was not announced at the time.

“I requested to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be released at the height of the war” against Iran, the 76-year-old Israeli leader said, to prevent “more false propaganda against Israel”.

He said he was healthy and called the tumour a “minor medical issue”.

Mr Netanyahu’s health was the subject of speculation during the early weeks of the war with Iran as fake, AI-generated images circulated suggesting he had died, including on Iranian state media.

Aharon Popovtser, the director of Hadassah Hospital’s oncology unit, said Mr Netanyahu was diagnosed at an early stage, noting that prostate cancer is common among men his age.

“We can say based on the findings of these tests that the disease has disappeared,” he said, referring to imaging and blood work.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister – who is overseeing not just the war in Iran but also conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon – has faced criticism in the past for not disclosing information about his health, including when he told the public he had a pacemaker implanted to address a long-standing heart condition a week after he fainted at a public appearance.