Israeli court cancels Netanyahu hearings scheduled this week, Israeli media reports

BEIRUT — The Jerusalem District Court has agreed to cancel the three hearings scheduled for PM Benjamin Netanyahu's testimony in his corruption trial, thus granting his request made earlier this week, according to the Times of Israel. The Jerusalem Post also reported the information.

However, the court requested an update from Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad, regarding the possibility for the prime minister to testify next week. Netanyahu's trial hearings, along with many other criminal proceedings, had been suspended during the war with Iran, as the courts were placed on an emergency footing.

Following the cease-fire that took effect last week, Netanyahu requested an additional two-week delay before resuming his testimony, citing the security and diplomatic situation following the conflict. Prosecutors agreed to cancel the prime minister's testimony this week but asked that any request to postpone for the following week be resubmitted and reviewed.

The court adopted this position and asked Hadad to provide an update by Thursday on the possibility for Netanyahu to testify next week, the newspaper also reports.

Netanyahu had requested a postponement of his testimony in his corruption trial, citing the ongoing security situation in the region, according to a request filed Friday by his lawyer.

"Due to classified security and diplomatic considerations related ... to major events that have recently occurred in Israel and throughout the Middle East, the prime minister will not be able to testify for at least the next two weeks," stated the document submitted to the Jerusalem District Court.

The text specifies that a sealed envelope detailing these confidential reasons was submitted to the court, which will make a decision after receiving the prosecution's response.

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli head of government to be indicted, denies the accusations of corruption, fraud and breach of trust made against him in 2019 after years of investigation.