Netanyahu to undergo hernia operation under full anesthesia

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to undergo a hernia operation Sunday under general anesthesia, which will leave him fully unconscious, his office said. 

The hernia was discovered during a "routine" medical examination of the 74-year-old prime minister on Saturday evening, according to the prime minister's office.

After consulting with his doctors, Netanyahu is set to be hospitalized for the surgery after close of business on Sunday. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin will serve as Acting Prime Minister during the operation. 

The hernia does not appear to have interfered with Netanyahu's schedule on Sunday.

The prime minister and his wife, Sara Netanyahu, met Sunday in Jerusalem with the families of female soldiers who were abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, during the Hamas terrorist attack that killed about 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnappings of 250 others. 

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