Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been diagnosed with food poisoning and will be recuperating at home for the next three days, his office announced on Sunday. Despite his recovery period, the premier is expected to continue overseeing state affairs remotely.
The 75-year-old leader reportedly began feeling unwell during the night and subsequently underwent a medical examination at his residence. Dr. Alon Hershko, head of the internal medicine department at Hadassah University Hospital – Ein Kerem, diagnosed Netanyahu with intestinal inflammation attributed to the consumption of spoiled food.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Netanyahu is also experiencing dehydration and is currently receiving intravenous fluids. His office confirmed that, despite his condition, the Prime Minister’s health is stable, and he will remain under medical supervision at home.
“In accordance with his doctors’ instructions, the prime minister will rest at home for the next three days and will conduct state affairs from there,” the PMO stated.
Netanyahu’s absence from Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting had raised inquiries, prompting his office to issue a clarification later in the day. This development adds to a series of health-related challenges the veteran leader has encountered in recent years.
In December of last year, Netanyahu underwent surgery to remove his prostate following a urinary tract infection. In March 2024, he also had hernia surgery and took several days off after contracting influenza. A year prior, in July 2023, he was fitted with a pacemaker after being diagnosed with a transient heart block. He had also been hospitalized for dehydration a week before that procedure.
The last publicly released medical report, issued in January 2023, affirmed that Netanyahu was in a “completely normal state of health” and that the pacemaker was functioning correctly with no indications of heart arrhythmia or other concerning conditions.
