Jerusalem, Dec 29 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to undergo prostate removal surgery on Sunday, his office confirmed in a statement.
The statement on Saturday noted that on Wednesday, Netanyahu underwent a test at Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem, where a urinary tract infection was detected, resulting from a benign prostate enlargement, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Israeli Prime Minister has since received antibiotic treatment, which has resolved the infection.
Despite the upcoming surgery, the Prime Minister’s office said the Israeli Cabinet’s weekly meeting will proceed as scheduled on Sunday.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery in March under general anaesthesia, during which Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, temporarily assumed the role of Prime Minister.
In July 2023, Netanyahu was hospitalised for a pacemaker implant after suffering from arrhythmia, just one week after experiencing dehydration.
The incident led to considerable speculation among many in Israel as to the health of the Prime Minister and to what degree details had been hidden from the public.
A medical report released in January said Netanyahu was in a “completely normal state of health,” that his pacemaker was working correctly and that there was no evidence of heart arrhythmia or any other problematic conditions.
Despite protocols requiring Prime Ministers to release an annual health report, Netanyahu did not release one between 2016 and late 2023.
He could not be legally forced to share his health information as these protocols, developed by the PMO, were not enshrined in law.
The latest health issue comes the same week that Israel unleashed a torrent of airstrikes on parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthis in retaliation for a barrage of missile attacks by the Iranian-backed group. After the Israeli military’s strikes, which included an attack on the international airport in Sana, the Houthis have continued to fire rockets at Israel.
Israel has been embroiled in a conflict on multiple fronts since the Hamas-led terror attack on October 7, 2023, fighting the Palestinian group in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as striking targets in Syria and trading fire with Iran.
–IANS
int/khz
