Tel Aviv [Israel], July 2 (ANI): The testimonies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his criminal trial hearings have been cancelled for next week due to his diplomatic visit to the United States, The Jerusalem Post reported.

The request, submitted by Netanyahu's defense team, was approved by the prosecution, which is in the middle of cross-examination. However, the prosecution did request that additional testimony dates be added in their stead and until the courts go on summer recess, from July 21 through September 5. Per a court decision from a few weeks ago, Netanyahu is scheduled to testify that week, on Monday, July 21, and Tuesday, July 22.

Netanyahu is scheduled to fly out on Sunday and return either on Thursday or Friday. It added that the prime minister is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the heads of the Senate and the Congress, The Jerusalem Post reported.

He is also expected to conduct other classified security meetings. The visit comes as reports indicate some movement on a hostage and ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas War. Fifty hostages remain held in Hamas captivity.

At present, the prime minister's testimony schedule is twice a week, with testimonies from other defense witnesses taking place once a week. In lieu of Netanyahu's testimony, on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the courts will hear testimonies from the other defense witnesses.

The request follows a closed-door discussion between Netanyahu's lawyers and Jerusalem District Court Judges Rivka Friedman-Feldman, Oded Shaham, and Moshe Bar-Am on Sunday. This meeting led to the cancellation of testimonies this week, The Jerusalem Post reported.

When Israel attacked Iran on June 13, the courts went into an emergency operational mode, which included the cancellation of all testimonies in the cases against the prime minister.

When a ceasefire was called between Israel and Iran and non-essential operations across the country resumed, Netanyahu's defense team asked to pause the hearings for two weeks, due to what it said was a significant need for the prime minister to focus on the Gaza front and the issue of the hostages.

The prosecution rejected that request, and the court said that based on what was shown of the prime minister's planned schedule, there was no reason to cancel, only to begin late on Monday.

On Sunday, the judges agreed to cancel this week's testimonies based on the closed-door meeting with the prime minister and other security officials, including IDF Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder and Mossad head David Barnea, The Jerusalem Post reported. (ANI)