Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to court in his ongoing corruption trial, facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday in his corruption trial after a month-long pause, the Anadolu news agency reported.
His trial was suspended in December after the premier underwent surgery.
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.
Netanyahu returns to court as displaced Palestinians return home
1st sitting leader to take the stand as criminal defendant in history of Israel
He is facing 3 corruption charges after judges refused to postpone his testimony https://t.co/XLNxz7cKcG pic.twitter.com/CrOf69tJq2
— RT (@RT_com) January 27, 2025
The Israeli premier denies any wrongdoing, calling the accusations “fake.”
The charges involve claims that Netanyahu exchanged favors and gifts from wealthy friends, including media owners in Israel, for favorable news coverage.
Former Aide, State Witness
Netanyahu denied on Monday that a former communications aide, Nir Hefetz, who had turned state witness, was a confidant, The Jerusalem Post reported.
He claimed that “he was always wary of the aide’s connections to Yedioth Ahronoth owner Arnon Mozes,” according to the paper.
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Netanyahu also claimed he did not discuss personal matters or sensitive security issues with Hefet, and said his connections with Mozes were both an advantage and disadvantage.
Hefetz was “brought onto his team because of his connection to Mozes, keeping in mind that Yedioth was one of the most influential news outlets in the country,” the paper reported.
Netanyahu allegedly fired Hefetz, the report noted, “because there were significant leaks from the office, and the prime ministers suspected the aide.”
War Crimes Charges
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.
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Under Israeli law, he is not required to resign unless convicted by the Supreme Court, which 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 its military assault on Gaza.
Staggering Death Toll
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 47,035 Palestinians have been killed, and 111,091 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
The toll is expected to rise further, with at least 11,000 people still unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes across Gaza.
Palestinian resistance fighters welcome the crowds of displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza after the Israeli army’s withdrawal from the Netzarim Corridor. pic.twitter.com/q55F8eetgp
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 27, 2025
The war, which Palestinians call “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” began after a military operation carried out by Hamas on Israeli territory. Israel reports that 1,139 of its soldiers and civilians were killed during the initial attack on October 7.
However, Israeli media have raised concerns that a significant number of Israeli casualties were caused by ‘friendly fire’ during the assault.
Human rights organizations, both Palestinian and international, have reported that the overwhelming majority of the casualties in Gaza are women and children.
Over a million Palestinians began returning back home from the south of the enclave on Monday after they were forcibly displaced due to Israel’s relentless attack on northern Gaza.
(PC, Anadolu)
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