Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering from a successful hernia surgery and expects to be discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, officials said in a statement. They added that the PM was well enough to take meetings and consultations from the hospital in the meantime. Yet public concern over 74-year-old Netanyahu’s health has grown since last year, when he was fitted with a pacemaker for a longtime heart problem he had kept hidden for years, and it may have intensified after his pre-operation press conference on Sunday, in which he appeared to stutter over some words. Daphna Liel, an Israeli political commentator, called it a “mistake” to hold a press conference that was presumably intended to assure the public about the PM’s health. Netanyahu’s hospitalization came amid mounting criticism over his handling of military operations in Gaza both from the international community and Israelis. His operation coincided with the largest anti-government protests since Oct. 7, with the families of Israeli hostages marching alongside protesters.
