Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to undergo surgery for a hernia, according to an announcement from his office. The procedure will be performed under full anaesthesia, rendering him unconscious during the operation. The hernia was discovered during a routine checkup, prompting the need for surgical intervention. During Netanyahu’s absence, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a trusted confidant and also deputy prime minister, will assume the role of acting prime minister.

Mr. Netanyahu, aged 74, has maintained a demanding schedule throughout Israel’s nearly six-month-long conflict with Hamas. His doctors have affirmed his overall good health, despite previous medical procedures such as a hernia operation in 2013 and the fitting of a pacemaker last year.

In the midst of this tense situation, tens of thousands of Israelis have assembled outside the parliament building in Jerusalem, staging the largest anti-government demonstration since the country entered the war in October. Their demands include securing the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and calling for early elections.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, the toll of nearly six months of war has been devastating. Critical infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, homes, roads, sewage systems, and the electrical grid, has been destroyed. Over 80% of Gaza’s population, totalling 2.3 million people, has been displaced, according to reports from the UN and international aid agencies.