Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem, on Dec. 23, 2024. Photo by Chaim Goldberg/Flash90
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent a successful prostate removal surgery and will remain in the hospital for several days to recover, his office stated Sunday evening.
“The Prime Minister has awakened from the anesthesia, is in good condition and is fully conscious. He has been transferred to the underground, protected recovery unit,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu thanks the dedicated medical team,” the statement added. Leading surgeon Prof. Ofer Gofrit, director of the Urology Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, said the surgery went as planned and that Netanyahu is in good condition.
“Thank God, everything went smoothly. There is no suspicion of malignancy or cancer. Everything was a benign prostate that was removed, and we only hope for the best,” Prof. Gofrit said in a statement from the operating room with the other surgeons by his side.
Due to the ongoing war on multiple fronts, the routine arrangements of who would replace the prime minister while he was incapacitated received a special significance and considerable, partially hostile, media attention in Israel.
During the two-hour surgery, embattled Justice Minister Yariv Levin acted as temporary prime minister, while Defense Minister Israel Katz was authorized to convene and head the Security Cabinet.
The surgery also caused the postponement of at least one of Netanyahu’s court dates in his ongoing testimony as part of his corruption case . The surgery was deemed necessary after a urinary tract infection stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate was discovered last week.
On Sunday, Netanyahu continued his regular work schedule, including a weekly government meeting, before heading to the hospital in the evening for the surgery.
During the government meeting, Netanyahu said the negotiations over a hostage deal were stuck once again because the Hamas terrorist organization “does not want there to be a deal.”
The Jerusalem Post cited ministers stating, “The situation is less optimistic,” after recent weeks saw increasing optimism that a deal could be reached before the end of the Biden administration’s term.
Ministers reportedly were told that Hamas was “constantly trying to change direction in the talks,” and that the terror group was again demanding a complete end to the war as a precondition for an agreement.
After the meeting, Netanyahu filmed a short video statement on his way to the hospital, thanking the “many people” who wished him a speedy recovery, and vowed to “make it through.”
When asked by the cameraman about a book he was carrying, Netanyahu explained it was the biography of the Duke of Marlborough, “who was among Britain’s most famous military commanders,” and asked the viewers to comment whether they knew who wrote it, before wishing them a Happy Hanukkah.
The biography of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, was written by his descendant Winston Churchill, whom Netanyahu has often referenced in his speeches.
