Israeli PM Netanyahu to undergo hernia surgery as Jerusalem protests his regime
Israel - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was to undergo hernia surgery on Sunday, his office said, as fighting rages almost six months into the Gaza war.
The news comes with Netanyahu under increasing domestic pressure over his failure to bring home all of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas militants.
Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin will stand in while Netanyahu (74) undergoes full anesthesia, his office said.
It added that doctors had discovered the hernia on Saturday during a routine checkup and that after consultations the decision was made for the premier to undergo surgery after completing his daily schedule.
Deadly air strikes again pounded the Gaza Strip as talks towards a truce between Israel and Hamas were set to resume in Cairo on Sunday, according to Egyptian television – though a Hamas official expressed pessimism about the process.
To help alleviate the suffering of Gaza's 2.4 million people, an aid ship has been sailing from the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus to bring 400 tons of food as part of a small flotilla.
Foreign powers have also ramped up aid airdrops, although United Nations agencies and charities warn this falls far short of the dire need and say trucks are the most efficient way of delivering aid.
Several people have died in stampedes or drowned trying to retrieve packages from the sea.
Israelis demand new deal as peace talks are held hostage by Hamas
Under intense pressure to bring Hamas' Israeli captives home, Netanyahu on Friday approved a new round of ceasefire talks to take place in Doha and Cairo.
Egyptian TV station Al-Qahera, which is close to the country's intelligence services, said that the talks would resume in Cairo on Sunday.
But a Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the Islamist group had not decided on whether to send a delegation to the new round "in Cairo or Doha."
The official also expressed doubt the process could bring results because Netanyahu is "not interested."
Netanyahu has vowed to continue the fight by sending troops in against Hamas fighters in Rafah, where around 1.5 million civilians are sheltering.
Relatives and supporters of hostages held by Hamas have held regular protests, including Saturday night in Tel Aviv, where police used water cannons against demonstrators who lit fires and blocked highways.
"Prime minister, on behalf of the hostage men and women, on behalf of the people of Israel, give the negotiators in Qatar the order: Do not return without a deal," said Raz Ben Ami, a survivor of Hamas captivity.
Organizers said that the demonstrations are planned for Sunday outside the Knesset – the name for the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem – and then every night until Wednesday.
Cover photo: Leo Correa / POOL / AFP