Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is conscious and speaking to family after receiving general anesthesia for hernia surgery, the hospital treating him said.
The 74-year-old’s surgery was successful and he is recovering, Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center announced around 2 a.m. local time, although doctors did not immediately specify how long his recovery might take.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin acted as acting Prime Minister while Netanyahu was unconscious under general anesthesia.
The hospital said doctors discovered the hernia during a routine check-up on Saturday and after consultation it was decided that the prime minister would undergo surgery after completing his daily schedule.
It added that a cardiologist was part of the prime minister’s medical team for the operation. Netanyahu previously underwent hernia surgery in 2013 and received a pacemaker last year.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is conscious and speaking to family after undergoing successful hernia surgery, doctors say
Prof. Alon Pikarski (right), head of Hadassah Ein Kerem’s surgical department, performed the operation
Tens of thousands of Israelis crowded central Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government protest since the country went to war in October.
Prof. Alon Pikarski, the head of Hadassah Ein Kerem’s surgical department, performed the operation and said in a short video statement that it went “as expected and was successful and that the prime minister is awake, recovering and talking to his family.” ‘
Netanyahu underwent surgery as protesters calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza increased pressure on his government, almost six months into the war with Hamas.
Tens of thousands of Israelis crowded central Jerusalem on Sunday in the largest anti-government protest since the country went to war in October.
Deep divisions over Netanyahu’s leadership long predated the war and continue to enjoy strong public support.
Netanyahu gave a televised speech ahead of his operation in which he tried to reassure the hostages’ families that he understands their pain and that the government is doing everything it can to get their loved ones home.
He responded to protesters’ calls for new elections some two years earlier, saying this would only halt hostage negotiations and help Hamas.
He vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages are released, and reiterated his pledge that a ground offensive will be launched in Rafah.
Yesterday there were angry protests in Jerusalem as Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to undergo surgery
Anti-government protesters hold Israeli flags and banners depicting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a rally calling for the release of hostages
More than half of Gaza’s population – 1.4 million people – are seeking refuge in the city amid an Israeli air and ground offensive across the disputed strip. is under pressure from the US to exercise restraint.
Stating that this external pressure would not affect his decision to send troops, he said: “There is no victory without entering Rafah.”
Many Israelis blame him for the October 7 security lapses, and some families of the hostages blame him for the failure to reach an agreement despite weeks of talks between the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas and other militants are believed to still be holding about 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others, having released most of the rest during a ceasefire last November in exchange for the release of the Palestinians captured by Israel.
It comes as the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza’s main hospital early today after a two-week raid that left behind several bodies and a huge amount of destruction, Palestinian residents said.
Palestinians inspect damage at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after the Israeli army withdrew from the complex housing the hospital on April 1
A Palestinian woman and child sit amid the rubble of Gaza’s Al-Shifa hospital after the Israeli army withdrew from the complex
The army has described the attack on Shifa hospital as one of the most successful operations of the nearly six-month war.
It says it has killed dozens of Hamas and other militants, including senior officers, and seized weapons and valuable intelligence. It confirmed that troops had withdrawn on Monday.
The U.N. health agency said several patients died and dozens were endangered during the raid, further destroying an already largely dysfunctional hospital.
Days of intense fighting have shown that Hamas can still resist, even in one of the hardest-hit areas of Gaza.
Deadly air strikes hit the Gaza Strip again, according to Egyptian television, while talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas were due to resume in Cairo on Sunday. But neither Netanyahu nor Hamas expressed optimism.
To help alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, an aid ship sailed from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus to bring 400 tons of food as part of a small flotilla.
Foreign powers have stepped up airdrops for aid, although United Nations agencies and charities warn this falls far short of the urgent need and say trucks are the most efficient way to deliver aid.