Netanyahu corruption trial: Israeli PM rejects ‘absurd’ charges

Some relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza came to press for more to be done to free their loved ones.

Hadas Kalderon’s two children were released as part of a temporary truce last year, while her ex-husband, Ofer, remains in captivity.

She told the BBC that the prime minister “cares more about his own sins, his private sins, more than caring for his citizens”.

“He doesn’t care about the hostages. It’s very sad”.

Prior to the war in Gaza, Netanyahu’s trial opened up deep divisions in Israel and dominated discourse through five successive Israeli elections.

Critics of the prime minister saw his current government’s efforts to curb the powers of the judiciary as linked to his legal troubles, although he denied that.

While the deadly attack by Hamas on 7 October 2023 brought public unity, that has largely fallen apart as the war that it triggered has dragged on.

In recent weeks, Israel has reached a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon with the armed group, Hezbollah.

But at the same time, there have been renewed domestic tensions between key cabinet ministers and the judiciary, with threats to bring back some contentious legal reforms.

This trial is not expected to conclude for more than a year.

Even if the prime minister was found guilty, he could then appeal to the Supreme Court, meaning that these legal proceedings look set to continue to overshadow Israeli politics for the foreseeable future.