Netanyahu asked for delay in his criminal trial due to his illness, Israeli media say
The District Court of Tel Aviv canceled Wednesday's hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his corruption trial due to his health condition, local media said.
According to the public broadcaster KAN, the trial session was canceled after Netanyahu asked for a delay due to his illness, without providing further details.
State prosecutors began to cross-examine Netanyahu on June 3 in his criminal trial after months of direct examination by his defense team.
Israeli media called Netanyahu's cross-examination a “dramatic shift,” as it was the first time that the Israeli premier appeared before representatives of the public prosecution in Case 1,000.
Netanyahu faces three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019 against him: Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000, which include accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. He denies any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “fake.”
Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country's history.
Under Israeli law, he is not required to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, a process that could take several months.
Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where nearly 55,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.
