Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will remain in hospital overnight after he was admitted to the emergency department at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer on Saturday afternoon, the Office of the Prime Minister has confirmed.
According to sources from Sheba Medical Center, the prime minister lost consciousness while at home in Caesarea and fell as a result, hitting his head.
He was brought to the emergency room from his home in Caesarea in the north of the country. However, he was fully conscious upon arrival at the hospital, located close to the central city of Tel Aviv.
He was said to be doing well and underwent a brain imaging procedure to ensure that his brain was not damaged by the fall, as well as an examination to ensure that his heart rhythm is normal.
According to a statement from his office shortly after 6 p.m., nothing out of the ordinary was detected during the medical evaluation, and the initial assessment points to dehydration being the main factor.
“Following the recommendation of the doctors, the Prime Minister continues to undergo additional routine tests,” his office added.
In a video shared at around 7:30 p.m., the prime minister addressed the public from inside the hospital, explaining: “Yesterday I spent some time at the Kinneret with my wife, in the sun, without a hat and without water. Not a good idea.”
Thanking the medical staff at Sheba Medical Center and the public for their concern, Netanyahu said that he was “thank God, feeling very good.”
“I have one request from you all,” he continued in the short video clip, “we’re experiencing a severe heatwave across the country, so I request that you all spend less time in the sun, drink more water, and may we all have a good week.”
One of his two sons, Avner Netanyahu, was said to be present at the hospital with him, and his wife Sara Netanyahu was on her way as well.
Shortly after the news of his hospitalization was published, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid tweeted that he wished the prime minister “a complete recovery and good health.”
US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and former vice president Mike Pence, as well as a number of other US politicians, said they were praying for Netanyahu’s health on Saturday night.
Prime Minister @netanyahu is a fighter. Please join me in praying for him and for Israel. pic.twitter.com/2dQGOyENAg
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) July 15, 2023
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is a fighter. Please join me in praying for him and for Israel,” tweeted McCarthy. Netanyahu replied to McCarthy’s tweet, writing “Speaker @McCarthy, thank you for your kind words and prayers, and your lasting friendship to me and to Israel. I am feeling fine and ready to hit the ground running to continue strengthening the unbreakable bond between our two nations. Looking forward to see you again soon.”
“Praying for a swift recovery for my Friend and a Great Friend of America, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. G-d Bless Netanyahu,” tweeted Pence.
Former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, tweeted “Hoping that @Netanyahu @IsraeliPM is recovering and soon back to full health. Â A personal friend and genuine statesman who has kept Israel safe. Prayers for total recovery.”
Previous hospitalizations
In October 2022, the prime minister was brought to the emergency room at Shaare Zedek Medical Center after fainting during Yom Kippur prayers at a Jerusalem synagogue.
He was released after all the results of the tests he performed came out normal.Â
This is a developing story.
