Ex-Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu tests positive for Covid-19

Israel's Opposition leader and former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tested positive for COVID-19, his spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The 72-year-old Likud leader is feeling well and following Health Ministry guidelines, the announcement read.

On Monday, Netanyahu attended a Likud faction meeting at the Knesset - Israeli Parliament, meaning that everyone who came in close contact with him will need to get tested and remain in isolation until they receive a negative test result if they're not vaccinated or haven't recovered from the disease, The Times of Israel reported.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett wished Netanyahu a speedy recovery.

Bennett succeeded Netanyahu in June, ending his 12 years of uninterrupted rule.

Netanyahu holds the record of being the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel's history. Having served in the position earlier between 1996 and 1999, Netanyahu in 2020 surpassed the record held by one of the Jewish state's founding leaders, David Ben-Gurion.

Netanyahu is fighting corruption cases on fraud, bribery and breach of trust charges, which he denies.

His COVID-19 positive test is likely to delay his ongoing corruption trial, following several delays over the past few weeks.