Netanyahu Discloses Early-Stage Prostate Cancer Treatment

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he underwent successful treatment for early-stage prostate cancer after doctors discovered a small tumor during a routine medical check-up.

The information was disclosed on Friday in Netanyahu’s annual medical report. In a post on social media, as reported by Al Jazeera, he said doctors identified and treated the tumor during the examination.

The diagnosis had not been made public at the time of treatment.

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

He said the delay was intended to prevent what he described as “more false propaganda against Israel.”

Netanyahu also noted that he underwent surgery for benign prostate enlargement in 2024 and has since been under regular medical supervision. The tumor was detected during his most recent examination.

According to the medical report, which states that the prime minister is in good health, Netanyahu received radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer. Neither the report nor Netanyahu specified when the treatment took place.

Aharon Popovtzer, head of the oncology unit at Hadassah Hospital, said Netanyahu was diagnosed at an early stage, adding that prostate cancer is common among men of his age.

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

Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, became the subject of online speculation about his health in the early weeks of the US-Israel conflict with Iran. The speculation was fueled by AI-generated fake images circulating online, including in Iranian state-linked media, which falsely claimed he had died.

In response, the Israeli leader later released a video showing himself visiting a café in Jerusalem in March to dismiss the rumors.