In the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Jerusalem District Court is set to reconvene for the corruption trial of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this Tuesday. The hearing resumes after a significant hiatus caused by the war with Hamas, which saw Israel engage in extensive military operations in response to an attack from the Palestinian group on October 7.

The case, known as Case 4000 or the "Bezeq-Walla bribery case", implicates Netanyahu in alleged regulatory manipulations favoring Bezeq Telecommunications. In return, it is claimed he received positive media coverage on Walla, a website previously under Bezeq’s ownership.

Corruption trial of Israeli PM #Netanyahu resumes

Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, bribery and breach of trust in three cases filed in 2019, known as Case 1000, 2000 and 4000.

In Case 1000, the prime minister, along with his wife Sara, is accused of receiving gifts,… pic.twitter.com/ZVAXPiE24K

— Hina Asif (@HinaAsifKK) December 5, 2023

Netanyahu, 74, faces accusations in this high-profile trial. Back in June, the presiding judges suggested that the prosecution drop the bribery charges. However, the prosecution opted to continue, leading to a series of testimonies.

The trial's progress was halted after the last session on September 20 due to a holiday break, subsequently extended due to the severe Hamas attacks and the ensuing conflict.

The judicial system adapted to an emergency schedule during the war, focusing only on urgent cases. Netanyahu’s trial was paused as it wasn’t classified as urgent. Recently, Justice Minister Yariv Levin enacted regulations for courts to return to normal functioning. This includes exceptions for those actively serving in the military reserves or displaced due to government orders.

Netanyahu’s public standing is ‘pretty weak’ as his corruption trial resumes https://t.co/MPK17tBIed via @nbcnews

— Shakur Young (@ShakurYoung3) December 5, 2023

Legal proceedings involving individuals taken hostage, reported missing, or their immediate family members have been temporarily suspended, barring mutual agreement by the parties involved in a case.

The decision to resume the trial has been met with criticism from Netanyahu's political allies. David Amsalem, a minister in the Justice Ministry and member of Netanyahu's Likud party, expressed his dismay on social media, denouncing the focus on the Prime Minister amid pressing national crises.

Netanyahu, who is not mandated to be present at the hearings, may be summoned to testify in the coming months. If the conflict persists, the simultaneous management of the war and legal proceedings will pose a significant challenge.

Some Netanyahu trial hearings nixed, after defense lawyer said PM doesn’t have time due to war https://t.co/l03bQFq1T6 via @timesofisrael

— Mark Hanna (@MarkHannaDegen) December 5, 2023

Apart from Case 4000, Netanyahu is also being tried in two other cases. Case 1000 involves allegations of inappropriately accepting gifts from wealthy benefactors, and Case 2000 revolves around an alleged quid-pro-quo arrangement with a newspaper for favorable coverage.

Amid these legal and political developments, the conflict's toll on the Gaza Strip is alarming, with the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reporting over 15,000 casualties since October 7. No independent observers have been on the ground to confirm these numbers and Hamas's account does not distinguish between civilian and combatant.