Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled for a surgery to correct a problem of the hernia under full anesthesia, his office has announced.
The 74-year-old leader was diagnosed with a hernia during a routine examination on Saturday, March 30. The surgery is planned to take place at the end of business on Sunday.
This surgical procedure will temporarily incapacitate Israel’s leader at a time when the nation is engaged in conflict with Hamas in Gaza following attacks on October 7. During Netanyahu’s incapacitation, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin will assume his duties.
The operation will take place amid renewed talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo, Egypt.
The negotiations to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by the militant group in exchange for a ceasefire in the conflict that has seen more than 32,000 Gazans killed had reached an impasse last week.
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This is Netanyahu’s second surgery since returning to the premiership in late 2022. A health scare last year ended with the Israeli leader being fitted for a pacemaker to fix a transient heart block.
Netanyahu previously had a hernia in 2013 that also required surgery.
