Benjamin Netanyahu reveals secret prostate cancer diagnosis but says he has now received clean bill of health

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:14, 24 April 2026 | Updated: 13:28, 24 April 2026 Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed a secret prostrate cancer diagnosis, assuring the public that he has since received a clean bill of health.  According to an official medical report released by the Prime Minister’s Office on Friday, Netanyahu, 76, first underwent surgery on December 29, 2024, to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. The procedure at Hadassah Medical Centre was described as successful and complication-free, according to the report, dated April 20, 2026. But a routine follow-up MRI then identified a minuscule suspicious lesion measuring less than one millimeter in the prostate.  Subsequent diagnostic tests confirmed the presence of early-stage prostate cancer, with no evidence of metastases.  The cancer was treated and Netanyahu says he is now healthy and in 'excellent physical condition'.  Writing on X, the Israeli leader said he requested to delay the report's 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'. 'I ask to share with you three things,' he wrote on social media: '1 - Thank God, I am healthy. 2 - I am in excellent physical condition. 3 - I had a minor medical issue with my prostate that was completely treated. Thank God, it's behind me.' Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu has revealed a secret prostrate cancer diagnosis, assuring the public that he has since received a clean bill of health '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,' he wrote. 'In the last monitoring, a tiny spot of less than a centimetre was discovered in the prostate. Upon examination, it turned out to be a very early stage of a malignant tumor, with no spread or metastases whatsoever.' The doctors told him it was very common among men his age, and that there were two options: leave it untreated but with frequent monitoring, or undergo treatment and remove the problem.  'You already know me. When I'm given information in time about a potential danger, I want to address it immediately,' Netanyahu wrote. 'This is true on the national level and also on the personal level. That's what I did. I underwent targeted treatment that removed the problem and left no trace of it. I went to a few short treatments, read a book, and continued working.  'The spot disappeared completely. Thank God, I overcame this too. I wish to thank the doctors and the wonderful medical teams at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem,' he said. This is a breaking news story, more to follow  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.