Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed Friday that he had been treated for early-stage prostate cancer, revealing the diagnosis and its resolution simultaneously in a social media statement released alongside his annual medical report — and explaining that he had deliberately withheld the information for two months to deny Iran material for what he called “false propaganda.”

The Israeli prime minister, 76, said a malignant tumour had been discovered during a routine medical examination and that targeted treatment had addressed it completely. “The problem has been removed and left no trace,” he said. His medical report confirmed he had received radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer. Neither the statement nor the report specified when the treatment was administered.

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The timing of the disclosure was shaped by the war. In March, during the height of the fighting with Iran, rumours spread on social media and were amplified by Iranian state media claiming that Netanyahu had died. He responded at the time by recording a video of himself at a Jerusalem café to disprove the reports.

He said Friday that the decision to delay releasing his medical information by two months was taken to prevent Iran from exploiting the cancer diagnosis as propaganda fodder during the active conflict.

The disclosure adds to a medical history that has grown more extensive in recent years. Netanyahu had surgery on his prostate in 2024 after being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection stemming from benign prostate enlargement. In 2023, he was fitted with a pacemaker following a cardiac evaluation. His annual report otherwise described him as in good health.

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Israel’s longest-serving prime minister continues to lead the country through a war on multiple fronts while facing an ongoing criminal trial on corruption charges. Elections are constitutionally due by October, making the question of his health a matter of direct political consequence as well as personal concern.

The decision to announce both the diagnosis and its resolution in a single statement — presenting the cancer as a closed chapter rather than an ongoing condition — reflects the political sensitivity of any suggestion of vulnerability at a moment when Netanyahu’s public posture has been one of uninterrupted command.