JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared before the court on Wednesday for the second time this week to defend himself against corruption charges.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Netanyahu showed off in the Tel Aviv District Court, marking his 11th stand in his corruption trial that resumed on Dec. 10, 2024.

Wednesday’s court session focuses on accusations of corruption against the Israeli premier in a case known as Case 1,000.

Netanyahu 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. He, however, 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 nearly 48,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar