Netanyahu to Have Prostate Removal Surgery on Sunday

The prime minister was diagnosed with an infection from a “benign enlargement of his prostate.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will undergo surgery to have his prostate removed Sunday after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection earlier in the week, his office said in a statement Saturday.

Mr. Netanyahu, 75, was examined at Hadassah Hospital on Wednesday and was diagnosed with an infection “stemming from a benign enlargement of his prostate,” the statement said, adding that he had been successfully treated for several days with antibiotics.

The complication from the enlarged gland follows several other health problems: In March, the prime minister underwent surgery to treat a hernia while his government wrestled with international criticism for its handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu was also unexpectedly hospitalized and fitted with a pacemaker in 2023 after a fainting episode alerted his doctors to heart irregularities.

He had a previous hernia operation in 2013.

The latest health issue comes the same week that Israel unleashed a torrent of airstrikes on parts of Yemen controlled by the Houthis in retaliation for a barrage of missile attacks by the Iranian-backed group. After the Israeli military’s strikes, which included an attack on the international airport in Sana, the Houthis have continued to fire rockets at Israel.

Israel has been embroiled in a conflict on multiple fronts since the Hamas-led terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023, fighting the Palestinian group in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as striking targets in Syria and trading fire with Iran.

Mr. Netanyahu is also in the midst of testifying in his own corruption case, in which he is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate but related cases that have divided Israeli citizens and caused years of political turmoil.

Our Coverage of the Middle East Crisis

• Israel’s Bombing Rules: Surprised by Oct. 7 and fearful of another attack, Israel weakened safeguards meant to protect noncombatants, allowing officers to endanger up to 20 people in each airstrike.
• Harsh Conditions in Gaza: Displaced Gazans largely entered the new year shivering in tent camps or taking refuge in schools-turned-shelters as Israel’s war with Hamas neared its 16th month.
• The Children Who Left: Sixteen young people were evacuated from Gaza after sustaining dire injuries. Months later, they face new lives in an unfamiliar country.
• A Tenuous Truce in Lebanon: A fragile cease-fire between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has largely held for a month now, injecting a measure of calm into a region in turmoil.
• Shrapnel and Sturgeon: The war between Israel and Hezbollah cleared out northern Israel — save for a few farmers and their prized fish.