Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rushed to Jerusalem hospital amid fresh questions over his health

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was taken to a Jerusalem hospital on Monday evening for what his office described as unspecified dental treatment.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Netanyahu had been admitted to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center after Hebrew media first reported that he had been taken to the hospital.

At 76, Netanyahu’s health has become a recurring topic in Israel because of repeated questions over how much information reaches the public and when.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s health faces fresh scrutiny

Netanyahu’s latest hospital visit lands against the backdrop of months of growing attention around his medical history and delayed disclosures.

Last month, the prime minister revealed in a lengthy social media post that he had recently undergone successful radiation treatment at Hadassah Hospital for a malignant tumor in his prostate. He also acknowledged that the public had not been informed at the time, arguing that Iran could have exploited the information as propaganda during the recent war.

What remained unclear, however, was the timeline. Netanyahu did not specify when he had been diagnosed, when treatment began, or when it concluded.

The announcement came alongside the publication of his annual health report and an additional document covering the cancer diagnosis and treatment. But the release raised eyebrows.

The report consisted of five brief bullet points across roughly half a page and did not even indicate which year it covered. Neither document carried hospital branding or any sign that they had been issued as formal medical statements. 

That said, recent years have brought several medical procedures for Netanyahu. He underwent pacemaker implantation in July 2023, had hernia surgery in March 2024, and later underwent prostate removal surgery in December 2024.

Questions surrounding transparency grew louder during the 2023 episode. Initial reports said Netanyahu had remained overnight at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan for dehydration monitoring, according to statements from his office and the hospital.

But that explanation drew fresh attention after the hospital later disclosed that he had actually been fitted with a subcutaneous heart monitor. Doctors then acknowledged a week later that irregularities had appeared during an electrocardiogram test while he was hospitalized, though they maintained publicly that the prime minister’s heart was “completely normal.”

Hospital visit comes as Israel escalates strikes in Lebanon

The hospital update also comes during a tense military campaign for Israel.

According to the Israeli military, a new wave of strikes has begun across Lebanon following Netanyahu’s announcement that operations against Hezbollah would intensify.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it launched attacks targeting Hezbollah positions in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, as well as additional areas across the country.

The Iran-backed Shia Muslim armed group based in Lebanon said it responded with 22 drone and rocket attacks. The group said its targets included Israeli soldiers, tanks, barracks, and military buildings.

The renewed fighting comes despite Lebanon and Israel agreeing earlier this month to extend a 45-day ceasefire, although clashes have continued.

In a video statement released Monday evening, Netanyahu declared Israel was "at war with Hezbollah" and that military forces had been instructed to "deal them a crushing blow."

He also said Israel’s campaign had "eliminated... over 600 terrorists."

Netanyahu added, "But what this requires of us now is to increase the strikes, to increase the intensity."