Netanyahu will have his prostate removed after being diagnosed with benign enlargement

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have his prostate removed on Sunday, his office said, a procedure that comes as he manages multiple issues at once, including the ongoing war in Gaza and his corruption trial.

Netanyahu, 75, is among a group of elderly world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, 82, and president-elect Donald Trump, 78, whose health and fitness are considered critical at home and abroad because of their age and the impact it can have on their leadership.

The Israeli prime minister, who has had many health problems in recent years, has made a concerted effort to strengthen his public image as a healthy and energetic leader. During his trial this month, he boasted of working 18-hour days.

But as Israel's longest-serving leader, such a daunting task during his 17-year reign could also take its toll.

As a result of the kneeling procedure, Netanyahu's lawyer, Amit Hadad, wrote in a letter to the court that the Israeli prime minister will be completely bedridden and will be hospitalized for “several days,” requesting that his three days of testimony this week be fulfilled. has been cancelled. The court agreed.

With so much at stake in the troubled region, Netanyahu's office said Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally, would serve as acting prime minister during the process.

According to Netanyahu's office, the Israeli leader was diagnosed with urinary tract infection on Wednesday due to inflammation of the prostate gland. The infection was successfully treated with antibiotics, but Sunday's procedure will remove his prostate, possibly using endoscopic surgery, Dr. Shay Golan, head of the oncology urology service at Israel's Rabin Medical Center, told Israel Army Radio.

Netanyahu insists he is in excellent health, and his office has worked to create a public image that supports that – releasing pictures of him traveling to war zones in full protective gear.

But he has had several health problems in the past, including a heart attack that led to seizures and a pacemaker to control his heartbeat.

That news in July 2023 came at a time when Netanyahu was facing massive anti-government protests over a plan to overhaul the justice system. Even last year, he was rushed to the hospital due to what doctors said might be dehydration, and that's where he fell asleep, which led to his weekly Cabinet meeting being delayed.

Earlier this year, Netanyahu underwent hernia surgery, while under general anesthesia and in a coma. At the time, Levin, his minister of justice, was acting prime minister during the project.

Netanyahu will be in hospital at a time when international mediators are pressing Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire agreement in Gaza as violence continues and fighting between the Yemeni-backed Houthi rebels.