Netanyahu’s medical report said the Israeli leader was treated with radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer.
Published April 24, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he underwent successful treatment for early-stage prostate cancer after a small tumor was discovered during a routine checkup.
The information was published Friday in Netanyahu’s annual medical report, and the Israeli leader posted on social media to explain that doctors discovered and treated the tumor during a medical checkup. The information was not announced at the time.
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“I requested to delay its publication for two months so that it would not be published at the height of the war” against Iran, said the 76-year-old Israeli leader, to avoid “more false propaganda against Israel.”
The Israeli prime minister said he underwent surgery for an enlarged benign prostate in 2024 and has been under routine medical monitoring since then. It was during the most recent checkup that the tumor was discovered.
According to the medical report, which otherwise said the prime minister was in good health, Netanyahu was treated with radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer. Neither the medical report nor Netanyahu said when the treatment occurred.
Aharon Popovtser, director of the oncology unit at Hadassah Hospital, said Netanyahu was diagnosed at an early stage and noted that prostate cancer is common among men his age.
“We can say, based on the results of these tests, that the disease has disappeared,” he said, referring to the images and blood tests.
Netanyahu, who is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, was the subject of speculation about his health in the early weeks of the US-Israel strikes on Iran, as fake artificial intelligence-generated images suggesting he had died circulated, including in Iranian state media.
The Israeli leader recorded a video of himself visiting a Jerusalem cafe in March to refute the claims.