Benjamin Netanyahu vacates Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM: Benjamin Netanyahu and his family vacated the Israeli prime minister's official residence early Sunday, nearly a month after the longtime leader was ousted from office with the formation of an alternate government.

A family spokesman confirmed the Netanyahus left the residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem shortly after midnight, in line with a deadline agreed upon last month with newly inaugurated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

The Balfour residence had become a symbol of the Netanyahus' scandals, and was the scene of weekly protests against Netanyahu for much of the past year.

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Demonstrators called on the then-prime minister to resign while on trial for corruption.

Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and refused to step down.

Netanyahu was Israel's longest serving prime minister, having held office for the past 12 years and a stint in the 1990s, and had occupied the residence since 2009.

Bennett has not yet announced a date for moving into the residence.