Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo prostate removal on Sunday, his office said. It's a procedure that comes into play when dealing with multiple crises at once, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his own trial for alleged corruption.
Netanyahu, 75, is one of a group of senior world leaders, including the US President Joe Biden82, and President-elect Donald Trump, 78, whose health and fitness are under intense scrutiny both at home and abroad because of their advancing age and the impact it may have on their leadership.
The Israeli prime minister, who has had a series of health problems in recent years, has made every effort to strengthen the public image of himself as a healthy and energetic leader. During this month's trial, he boasted that he worked 18 hours a day.
But for me, Israel's longest-serving leader, such a grueling workload over a total of 17 years in power may also take its toll.
Due to the prostate procedure, Netanyahu's lawyer Amit Hadad said in a letter to the court that the Israeli prime minister would be sedated and hospitalized for “several days,” asking that his three-day testimony this week be canceled. The court agreed.
Because the stakes are so high in the troubled region, Netanyahu's office said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, will serve as acting prime minister during the procedure.
According to Netanyahu's office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed on Wednesday with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign enlarged prostate. The infection was successfully treated with antibiotics, but during Sunday's procedure the prostate will be removed, likely using endoscopic surgery, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the urology oncology department at the Rabin Israel Medical Center, told Israel Military Radio.
Netanyahu claims to be in excellent health, and his office has worked to create a public image to back it up, releasing videos of him traveling through war zones in full protective gear.
However, he had several pre-existing health problems, including a heart condition that led to fainting and an implanted pacemaker to control his heartbeat.
This July 2023 news came as Netanyahu was struggling with massive anti-government protests on the judicial reform plan. Also last year, he was taken to hospital for what doctors said was likely dehydration, where he spent the night, delaying his weekly cabinet meeting.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery during which he was under full anesthesia and was unconscious. His Justice Minister, Levin, served as acting prime minister during the operation.
Netanyahu will be in hospital while international mediators are there pushing Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire in Gaza as violence rages there and fighting intensifies between Israel and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.