Istanbul: The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defense team to reduce the number of days he is required to testify in his ongoing corruption trial, as reported by local media. Judge Rivka Friedman-Feldman, who leads the panel presiding over Netanyahu's trial, dismissed his plea to testify three days a week instead of four, affirming, "The hearings will proceed as planned."

According to Anadolu Agency, US President Donald Trump recently called during a speech at the Knesset on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to issue a pardon for Netanyahu concerning the corruption charges. Meanwhile, Israel's Ministerial Committee for Legislation is slated to discuss a draft bill on Sunday that proposes delaying Netanyahu's trials indefinitely. If the bill gains approval, it will be forwarded to the Knesset for further deliberations. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has expressed strong opposition to any legislation that might allow political influences to interfere with the criminal process.

Netanyahu, who began his interrogation sessions in January related to cases designated 1000, 2000, and 4000, denies all charges. His trial, which commenced on May 24, 2020, marks the first time a sitting Israeli leader has taken the stand as a criminal defendant in the nation's history. Additionally, he 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 for alleged atrocities in Gaza, where over 68,000 people, primarily women and children, have been killed since October 2023.