Court postpones Netanyahu hearing as Israel attacks Gaza flotilla
An Israeli court on Monday granted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to postpone his corruption hearing until Tuesday, citing security concerns as naval forces simultaneously attacked a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla in international waters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successfully petitioned the Tel Aviv District Court on Monday to delay his scheduled corruption hearing until Tuesday, citing unspecified "political and security" concerns as his government simultaneously ordered a naval assault on a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters. The court and public prosecutor approved the request Monday morning, with the public broadcaster KAN reporting that Netanyahu's legal team cited security considerations without elaborating further.
The hearing has been rescheduled for Tuesday, according to KAN. The delay came as Israeli forces were boarding vessels carrying activists from 39 countries, with live broadcasts showing the naval operation unfolding far from Israel's territorial waters.
Naval assault on aid flotilla
The postponement coincided with the Israeli military's attack on the Global Sumud humanitarian flotilla, which was attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that naval commandos had detained the activists aboard the vessels and were transferring them to a navy ship described as a "floating prison" ahead of their transport to the port of Ashdod.
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The flotilla had been carrying humanitarian supplies toward the besieged territory, where conditions have deteriorated markedly amid the ongoing war. Israeli authorities regularly intercept such vessels attempting to reach Gaza, enforcing a maritime blockade that has remained in place for years.
Corruption charges and ICC warrant
Netanyahu faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases, with indictments first filed in November 2019. He has denied all wrongdoing since the trial began in 2020, though Israeli law permits presidential pardons only after defendants admit guilt.
Beyond his domestic legal troubles, the International Criminal Court has sought Netanyahu's arrest since 2024 for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip. More than 72,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, the majority of them women and children, according to local health authorities.
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