Netanyahu to undergo hernia surgery amid mounting pressure on his government

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel will undergo surgery Sunday night to treat a hernia, his office said in a statement.

The operation comes at a time when Netanyahu is under mounting pressure as the war in the Gaza Strip drags on and international calls for a cease-fire grow louder.

Netanyahu’s office said Sunday that he had been diagnosed with a hernia during a “routine examination” Saturday night. The prime minister decided in consultation with his doctors to have an operation, it said in a statement, adding that the surgery would take place Sunday evening “under full anesthesia.”

“Justice Minister Yariv Levin will be temporarily taking over his duties,” the statement said. Levin is a longtime stalwart in the prime minister’s Likud party.

Netanyahu – who also underwent surgery for a hernia in 2013 – has come under increasing criticism both on the world stage and at home over how Israel is prosecuting the war in the Gaza Strip. Key allies such as the United States have criticized the high civilian death toll and have made urgent calls for Israel to allow more aid into the enclave.

In Israel, protesters have been demanding that Netanyahu prioritize the release of hostages held in Gaza and strike a deal for a cease-fire. Israel’s war Cabinet is expected to convene later Sunday to discuss issues around the latest cease-fire negotiations; it was not immediately clear if Netanyahu would be able to attend.

Netanyahu is also facing sharp criticism from his far-right coalition partners over any indication that he is hesitating in the war against Hamas or in the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Hours before his scheduled surgical procedure, Netanyahu met in Jerusalem with families of soldiers held captive in Gaza.

He also delivered an evening news conference, looking pale as he hit back at criticism that he had not done enough to bring the hostages home.

“I’ve done everything in my power, and will continue doing everything, to secure their release,” he said, adding that “those who say I don’t do enough to secure the release of our hostages are wrong and misleading.”

Taking questions for nearly 20 minutes, Netanyahu also reiterated that Israeli forces would move into Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than 1 million people have sought refuge.

U.S. officials have said that invading Rafah would create a humanitarian disaster and that Israel must have a detailed plan to protect, shelter and feed the civilians there.

“We are now working on addressing the question of evacuating the civilian population and providing humanitarian aid,” Netanyahu said. “That is required and vital, and it will be done.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.