Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says he underwent treatment for prostate cancer, is now healthy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday (local time) said that he has undergone treatment for prostate cancer, making it his first public acknowledgement of the diagnosis.

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

The revelation comes as Netanyahu is set to visit the White House in the coming weeks as Washington seeks to broker a long-lasting peace deal in the war with Iran. Additionally, Israel's ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, following fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, has also been extended by three weeks.

Netanyahu shares health update on social media

Netanyahu shared his health update on X and wrote, "When I'm given information in time about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately. This is true on the national level and also on the personal level. That's what I did. I underwent targeted treatment that removed the problem and left no trace of it. I went to a few short treatments, read a book, and continued working."

Commenting about the tumour, he said, "I requested to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be released at the height of the war” against Iran, to prevent “more false propaganda against Israel.” Terming the tumour a "minor medical issue," Netanyahu said that he was healthy now.

Aharon Popovtser, the director of Hadassah Hospital’s oncology unit, said Netanyahu was diagnosed at an early stage, noting that prostate cancer is common among men his age. Popovtser said, "We can say based on the findings of these tests that the disease has disappeared."

Netanyahu's health was a subject during the Iran war

The Israeli PM's health became a subject of speculation during the early weeks of the war with Iran after fake and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images started circulating online, suggesting that he had died, including on Iranian state media.

Dispelling the rumours about his death, Netanyahu described the narrative aired by Iranian state media and discussed online as "fake news." These speculations surfaced after Iran launched retaliatory strikes during the early days of the war. Social media posts, for instance, described two videos released by the Israeli PM in March as inauthentic, suggesting they were evidence that he was dead.

Netanyahu's health concerns

The Israeli leader has been admitted to the hospital several times since he returned to office in December 2022, AFP reported, citing his office. In July 2023, roughly three months before the Gaza war started, which was triggered by Hamas's surprise attack on Israel, Netanyahu had a pacemaker implanted following brief hospitalisation after he complained of dizziness.

In March 2024, he underwent hernia surgery, before having the operation on his enlarged prostate in December of the same year.

Tel Aviv's longest-serving prime minister, who is overseeing not just the Iran war but also conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, has faced criticism for not revealing information about his health. This includes when he told the public that he had a pacemaker implanted to address a long-standing heart condition, a week after he fainted at a public appearance.