Earlier in the day, Netanyahu held a meeting with Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo in Israel.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… said that the State of Israel supports the treaty and its goals and has, therefore, signed the treaty. The Prime Minister added that the issue of ratification depends on the regional context and the appropriate timing," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
The CTBT prohibits all nuclear testing in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. It was adopted at the 50th session of the UN General Assembly on September 10, 1996 and opened for signature on September 24 of the same year.
For the entry into force, the CTBT requires ratification by all 44 states listed in the annex. Currently, the treaty is ratified by 36 countries, including the three nuclear weapons possessors — Russia, the United Kingdom and France.
The CTBT was signed by 183 nations. North Korea, India and Pakistan did not sign the treaty, while China, Israel, Iran, Egypt, and the United States signed but did not not ratify it.
