Israeli prime minister returns to court in corruption trial after month-long pause

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday in his corruption trial after a month-long pause.

His trial was suspended in December after the premier underwent surgery.

Israeli media published images of Netanyahu entering the courthouse, escorted by his doctor Tzvi Berkovich.

On Friday, Netanyahu urged the court to postpone his trial due to his health condition, but his request was rejected.

Netanyahu pleaded to the court that he wanted to rest for recovery due to his prostate surgery infection.

"Give me a break," Netanyahu told the court as cited by the daily The Jerusalem Post.

This is the seventh time Netanyahu has appeared in court during his corruption trial.

He faces three separate cases of corruption filed in 2019 against him: Case 1,000, Case 2,000, and Case 4,000, which include accusations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

The Israeli premier denies any wrongdoing, calling the accusations "fake."

Netanyahu, whose trial began on May 24, 2020, is the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant in the country's history.

Under Israeli law, he is not required to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, a process that could take several months.

Netanyahu also faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for him and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 over atrocities in Gaza, where over 47,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed.

On Jan. 19, a ceasefire agreement took effect, halting Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.