Benjamin Netanyahu reveals cancer diagnosis he kept secret for years

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed he underwent treatment for early stage prostate cancer.

Netanyahu’s annual medical report was published on Friday April 24. In a statement on X, the Israeli Prime Minister said that he was healthy and in ‘excellent physical condition’ after the surgery.

Explaining in more detail, he added: “I had a minor medical issue with my prostate that was completely treated. Thank God, it’s behind me."

The 76 year-old Israeli leader underwent the surgery for a benign prostate a year and a half ago, which he said was successful. He has since been under routine medical monitoring.

During his last monitoring, Netanyahu revealed that a ‘tiny spot of less than a centimeter’ was discovered in his prostate, which turned out to be ‘a very early stage of a malignant tumour with no spread of metastases whatsoever’.

Netanyahu then revealed via a lengthy X statement that he ‘underwent targeted treatment that removed the problem and left no trace of it’.

Netanyahu said he was in 'excellent physical condition' (Photo by Ilia YEFIMOVICH / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

“Thank God, I overcame this too,” he added before thanking doctors and ‘the wonderful medical teams’.

Netanyahu said he requested the publishing of his medical report was delayed, as he wrote: "I requested to delay its publication by two months so that it would not be released at the height of the war, in order not to allow the Iranian terror regime to spread even more false propaganda against Israel."

The Israeli Prime Minister also underwent surgery in 2023, to have a pacemaker fitted. The country's longest-serving leader was admitted to hospital three years ago after suffering what doctors described as a 'transient heart block'.

It came a week after the Israeli Prime Minister was admitted to hospital 'because he had a fainting episode'.

The Israeli Prime Minister had a pacemaker fitted in 2023 (Photo by Marc Israel SELLEM / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

At the time, Netanyahu also took to X to update his followers on the procedure. “Last week they gave me a monitoring device. The device beeped and said I need a pacemaker, and I need to do that already tonight. I feel great, but I listen to my doctors,” he said in the 2023 video.

A year later, in 2024, Netanyahu went under surgery again, as he was treated for a hernia. He was placed under anesthesia for the procedure, and was temporarily out of work, although said he would return 'very quickly'.

He also underwent surgery for a hernia in 2013.