Netanyahu treated for early-stage cancer for two years without telling public

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed he was treated for early-stage cancer but is now in "excellent condition".

Writing on X, Netanyahu said he had remained quiet about his health condition and delayed publication of his record so as not to provide "propaganda" opportunities for Iran.

"A year and a half ago, I underwent successful surgery for an enlarged benign prostate, and since then I have been under routine medical monitoring. In the last monitoring, a tiny spot of less than a centimeter was discovered in the prostate," he said.

"Upon examination, it turned out to be a very early stage of a malignant tumor, with no spread or metastases whatsoever."

Israeli prime ministers are expected to release regular reports on the state of their health and Netanyahu's decision not to do so has come in for scrutiny.

The 76-year-old added that he had "overcome" the illness, pointing out that "when I'm given information in time about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately".

Vladimir Beliak, an MP for the opposition Yesh Atid party, criticised Netanyahu's decision not to publish his health report, comparing it to the reasoning he previously used to delay his ongoing corruption trial.

"'It is impossible' to establish a state investigation committee because there is a war. 'It is impossible' to conduct a criminal trial because there is a war. Now it turns out that 'it is impossible' to publish a medical report and report on cancer because there is a war," he posted on X.

"There is so much benefit to the regime in waging an eternal war, and perhaps at the next stage we will hear that 'it is impossible' to hold elections because there is a war. Not going to happen. It is time to stop Netanyahu's farce, which threatens our existence here."

Since the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February, Netanyahu's health has been speculated on a number of times.

Iran responded to the attacks with missile strikes, and soon after rumours began to circulate that the prime minister had died. Videos released on social media that aimed at dispelling the rumours did little to stem the tide.

His appearance in front of journalists on 19 March, however, put the rumours to rest.