Israel's attorney general says he has postponed a scheduled pre-indictment hearing for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by three months.

Attorney General Avichai Mandeblit's office said on Wednesday that he'll hold the much-anticipated hearing at the beginning of October, after Netanyahu's lawyers asked for an extension to review the prosecution's material.

The Justice Ministry has previously said the hearing would take place by July 10.

Mandelblit has recommended pressing criminal charges against Netanyahu in three corruption cases, pending the hearing. The charges include allegations that he accepted gifts from billionaire friends and promoted beneficial regulations for a telecom magnate in exchange for positive coverage on a news site.

The recently re-elected Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and has called the charges the product of a media-orchestrated witch hunt to depose him.