Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed on Friday that he was successfully treated for early-stage prostate cancer months ago, revealing that he deliberately concealed his diagnosis and treatment from the public to prevent Iran from exploiting his illness for propaganda purposes during the height of the recent war. The 76-year-old premier, who has overseen multiple military fronts during one of the most turbulent periods in Israel’s history, announced in a lengthy post on his social media platform X that he is now "healthy" and in "excellent physical condition" following radiation therapy that "removed the problem and left no trace of it."
According to an annual health report released by the Prime Minister's Office, dated April 20, 2026, Netanyahu first underwent surgery on December 29, 2024, to treat a benign enlargement of the prostate, a procedure at Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center that was described as successful and complication‑free. A routine follow‑up MRI subsequently identified a minuscule suspicious lesion measuring less than one centimetre. Further diagnostic tests confirmed the presence of early‑stage prostate cancer with no evidence of metastases, the report stated.
Professor Aharon Popovtzer, director of the Sharett Oncology Institute at Hadassah, confirmed that Netanyahu had a tumour of 0.9 centimetres that was an early‑stage adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The doctor said the cancer was discovered "several months ago" during routine monitoring following the prime minister’s December 2024 surgery. Netanyahu was given the option of either continued monitoring or active radiation treatment and chose the latter. "Two and a half months ago, the prime minister underwent state‑of‑the‑art radiation treatment," Popovtzer said. "After the treatment, he underwent a comprehensive check‑up including imaging and blood tests. Based on the results, we can say that the disease has disappeared."
In his emotional social media post, Netanyahu explained that he had deliberately delayed the release of his medical report by two months to prevent Iran from using the information as a propaganda tool. "At the height of the war, rumours spread that I had been injured or killed," he wrote. "I chose to delay the report’s publication so it would not come out at the peak of the war and be exploited by the terrorist regime in Iran to spread more false propaganda against Israel." During the conflict in March, Iranian state media had broadcast claims that Netanyahu had died, prompting the prime minister to record a video of himself visiting a cafe in Jerusalem to refute the rumours.
Beyond the prostate issue, Netanyahu’s annual assessment found him to be in good health. All blood tests and physical fitness examinations returned normal. The assessment also noted that his heart remains in good condition, with no complications since a pacemaker was implanted in July 2023. That procedure, along with a hernia operation in March 2024 and the prostate surgery later that year, had previously drawn criticism for the prime minister’s pattern of withholding medical information from the Israeli public.
The prime minister’s disclosure comes as Israel’s longest‑serving leader prepares to visit the White House in the coming weeks, where the United States is seeking to broker a lasting peace deal in the war with Iran. Netanyahu is also overseeing a fragile ceasefire extension with Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Israeli leader drew a direct parallel in his post between his personal medical decision‑making and his approach to national security. "When I am informed in a timely manner about a possible danger, I want to address it immediately. This is true on a national level as well as a personal level," he wrote. "You already know me."
At the conclusion of his post, the prime minister urged Israeli citizens to take responsibility for their own health. "Take care of your health. Get checked, and follow the doctors’ instructions," he wrote, adding a Shabbat eve prayer "for the peace of our wounded in body and soul" and sending them a "warm embrace".
Prostate cancer is common among men of Netanyahu’s age, and doctors emphasised that early‑stage detection is crucial for successful treatment. The decision to withhold the diagnosis during active hostilities reflects the unique pressures of leading a nation at war, but it has also reignited debate about the level of transparency the public is entitled to regarding the health of its leaders. Netanyahu, who is due to face elections in Israel by October, now appears to have put the health scare behind him. As he himself put it: "Thank God, I beat this, too."
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