Jerusalem, Jul 20 (IANS): Israel's Supreme Court is set to hear a petition to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office over a conflict of interest, the court announced.

The Supreme Court has scheduled September 12 for the hearing that will be presided over by Supreme Court President Esther Hayut, according to a statement released by the court on Wednesday.

The petition was filed by 39 members of the Fortress of Democracy, a group opposing the government's controversial plan to overhaul the country's judicial system. Among the petitioners is former military Chief of Staff Dan Halutz.

The group argues that Netanyahu should be disqualified from serving as the Prime Minister because of his ongoing criminal trial on corruption charges. Netanyahu's proposed overhaul plan, aiming to diminish the powers of the Supreme Court, would grant his coalition a majority in the panel responsible for appointing new judges and weaken the legal system, Xinhua news agency reported.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, returned to office last December, leading a rightist government coalition comprising ultranationalist and ultra-religious parties. He currently faces a criminal trial in three separate cases related to corruption charges.