Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared Monday before the Tel Aviv District Court to respond to corruption charges against him, marking his 89th court appearance in the ongoing trial.

Netanyahu’s questioning continued in what is known as “Case 2000,” following previous hearings related to “Case 1000” and “Case 4000.”

The cases involve allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, all of which Netanyahu has repeatedly denied.

Meanwhile, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that President Isaac Herzog has frozen discussions regarding a pardon request submitted by Netanyahu.

According to the report, the decision came about a month after Herzog invited the prime minister to engage in direct talks aimed at reaching a compromise that could end the legal and political crisis surrounding the trial.

The broadcaster added that Netanyahu did not officially respond to the initiative, prompting the presidency to suspend further procedural steps for the time being.

The initiative had reportedly received support from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who backed efforts to open dialogue channels to find a legal resolution to the crisis.

Legal and political assessments in Israel suggest that the hearings involving Netanyahu’s testimony may be approaching their final stages.