Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disclosed that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, saying the tumour was treated and fully removed and that he remains in “excellent physical condition.”
In a statement issued Friday, Netanyahu said his annual medical report had been delayed by two months at his request to prevent its release during the peak of the war, which he said could have fuelled “false propaganda” by Iran. “I had a minor medical issue with my prostate that was completely treated. Thank God, it’s behind me,” he said.
The Israeli leader confirmed he had undergone surgery for an enlarged but benign prostate about 18 months ago. During a recent check-up, physicians detected “a tiny spot of less than a centimetre” in the prostate. “Upon examination, it turned out to be a very early-stage malignant tumour, with no spread or metastasis whatsoever,” he said. The targeted treatment removed the tumour, and no remaining signs of disease were found.
The disclosure is the first acknowledgement of a cancer diagnosis by a sitting Israeli prime minister during active conflict. Netanyahu has led Israel through successive rounds of hostilities with Iran and its proxies, and remains central to decisions on the three-week Lebanon ceasefire extension and ongoing US-Iran diplomacy in Islamabad.
His medical status carries implications for continuity in Israeli decision-making as the region navigates the Strait of Hormuz stand-off and broader regional security posture — developments that bear directly on Sri Lanka’s fuel import chain.
