Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to undergo surgery Sunday evening after a hernia was discovered during a routine checkup.
Netanyahu, 74, will be put under full anesthesia and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a close ally who holds the title of deputy prime minister, will serve as acting prime minister during the operation, the Associated Press said, citing information from Netanyahu's office.
The surgery at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem follows an operation to install a pacemaker last year after Netanyahu fainted at home during what officials later said was a "transient heart block," according to the Times of Israel.
Rumors about Netanyahu's health have swirled since then and a group of oppenents filed a petition with Israel's High Court earlier this month, seeking to force him to release a detailed medical report and name a successor in case he were to become incapacitated, the Times of Israel reported at the time.
On Sunday, an official described Netanyahu as feeling well and said he would go under the knife after holding scheduled meetings with his war cabinet and with the families of female Israeli soldiers being held captive by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel said.
It's unclear where Netanyahu's hernia is located or if he suffered any symptoms before it was found during his Saturday evening exam.
Hernias, in which an organ pushes through the muscle or tissue that surrounds it, most often occur in the abdomen or groin, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
