Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in "excellent" health following a successful hernia surgery at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem on Sunday, according to a statement from the hospital. The procedure, which took place while Netanyahu was under full anesthesia, ended successfully, and the prime minister is now awake and talking to his family, said Alon Pikarsky, the hospital's director of general surgery and the attending surgeon.
Netanyahu, 74, was diagnosed with a hernia during a routine examination on Saturday, prompting the decision to undergo surgery. In a news conference held in Jerusalem ahead of the procedure, Netanyahu expressed optimism about the results and assured the public that he would return to action "very quickly."
"I assure you that I will get through this treatment successfully and return to action very quickly," Netanyahu said.
The surgery required Israel's leader to be temporarily out of action while the nation remains at war with Hamas in Gaza, following the October 7 attacks. During Netanyahu's incapacitation, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin stepped in to cover his duties.
This marks Netanyahu's second surgery since returning to the premiership in late 2022. Last summer, a health scare led to the Israeli leader being fitted for a pacemaker to address a transient heart block. Netanyahu also had a hernia in 2013 that required surgery.
The operation took place amid renewed talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo, according to a report in Egyptian media. The negotiations, aimed at securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages held by the militant group in exchange for a ceasefire in the conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 32,000 Gazans, had reached an impasse last week.
A hernia is a gap in the abdominal muscular wall that allows something inside the abdomen to protrude outward, as explained by Johns Hopkins Medicine. While the condition can be painful and uncomfortable, surgical intervention is often successful in repairing the issue.
In a subsequent statement reported by CNN and The Times of Israel, Pikarsky provided an update on the prime minister's condition, stating, "He is awake, recovering and speaking with his family."
This latest health issue comes less than a year after Netanyahu underwent surgery to install an emergency pacemaker in July 2023, when doctors revealed he had a chronic heart condition.
As the Israeli leader recovers from the hernia surgery, the nation remains focused on the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza and the efforts to secure the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. The successful outcome of Netanyahu's procedure will likely come as a relief to many Israelis, who have been closely following the prime minister's health and the nation's security situation.
