Jerusalem: Israeli officials are seeking to expedite an extradition hearing for a woman facing dozens of sexual abuse charges in Australia after a psychiatric panel concluded she had lied about suffering from mental illness, the Justice Ministry announced on Monday.

The panel's decision last week that found Malka Leifer fit to stand trial marked a major breakthrough in a years-old case that has strained relations between Israel and Australia and antagonised members of Australia's Jewish community.

Australian Malka Leifer, right, is brought to a courtroom in Jerusalem in 2018. Credit:AP

In its announcement, the Justice Ministry said the psychiatric panel had "unanimously and unequivocally" concluded that the former Melbourne school principal had faked mental illness in order to avoid extradition.

"The prosecution believes that the psychiatric panel's definitive conclusions have removed the obstacles that stood in the way of any significant progress in this case," the ministry said.