Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to face legal challenges again, as his long running corruption trial will resume on Sunday.
The trial had been paused on account of a state of emergency declared in the country after its war with Iran broke out. However, with a temporary ceasefire agreement in place, emergency has been lifted and the trial is set to begin again, as per the court's spokesperson.
"With the lifting of the state of emergency and the return of the judicial system to work, hearings will resume as usual," news agency Reuters quoted a statement from the Israeli courts as saying. The statement added that these trials will take place between Sundays and Wednesdays.
The emergency, which had led to a closure of schools and offices, was lifted in Israel on Wednesday after no missile strikes were reported since 3 a.m. local time as a ceasefire between the warring parties was agreed upon.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets, subject to Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped during peacetime.
ALSO READ: Israel Intensifies Lebanon Strikes With Ceasefire In Doubt
Notably, reports of attacks on both ends have since then raised eyebrows and doubts around the execution of the ceasefire agreement.
Israel has continued to launch extensive strikes on Lebanon, on account of Iran-backed Hezbollah's presence in the region. Iranian media has claimed that, in response to this, the Strait of Hormuz has once gain been closed.
What Is The Trial About?
Netanyahu was first slapped on with charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in 2019 and has, since then, denied these allegations. It is important to note that he is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime.
After its initiation in 2020, the Israeli PM's trial has been delayed repeatedly due to his official commitments. If proven guilty, Netanyahu can face time behind bars.
In the past, Trump had appealed Israel's President Isaac Herzog to issue a pardon to Netanyahu, considering the hinderance to duties caused by the court appearances.
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