FLASH NEWS
Netanyahu: I hid prostate cancer from the public because of the war with Iran
2026-04-24 22:31:29 / BOTA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he had been diagnosed and treated for early-stage prostate cancer, but delayed the news for two months to avoid it being used against Israel during its war with Iran.
In a statement published on the X platform, Netanyahu, who will turn 77 in October, said he had requested the postponement of the publication of his annual health report so that it would not come out "at the height of the war, to prevent the Iranian regime of terror from spreading more false propaganda against Israel."
The prime minister's annual health report, released Friday, shows that Netanyahu underwent surgery on December 29, 2024, for an enlarged prostate. The surgery was publicly reported at the time.
A few months later, during a routine checkup, doctors discovered early-stage prostate cancer, Aron Popovtzer, director of the oncology department at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, said in a video statement. The prime minister was offered the choice between active surveillance or radiation therapy, and he chose targeted radiation treatment at Hadassah about two and a half months ago.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28th.
"Thank God, I am healthy; I am in excellent physical shape; I had a minor medical problem with my prostate that was completely treated," Netanyahu said, adding that after receiving the diagnosis of a malignant mass, he decided to immediately begin treatment.
“When I am given timely information about a potential danger, I want to deal with it immediately. This applies both at the national and personal levels. That is what I did. I underwent a targeted treatment that eliminated the problem and left no trace. I went for a few short treatments, read a book and continued working. The trace has completely disappeared.”
In July 2023, Netanyahu was admitted to Sheba Medical Center after losing consciousness. He and doctors at the time said it was dehydration, but a week later it was discovered that he had a heart monitor implanted under his skin. Later that month, he underwent a procedure to have a pacemaker inserted.
Since then, journalists and opposition members have raised doubts about the completeness of the information provided to the public on his health condition.
“The prime minister’s health is a matter of national security and the public has the right to know the truth,” opposition MP Naama Lazimi wrote on X on Friday. She asked the prime minister’s office to explain “why the information was hidden in real time.”
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