The Israeli prime minister is undergoing hernia surgery, which he allegedly discovered while thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv and in front of his home in Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be fully sedated under general anesthesia to undergo hernia surgery, Sky News reports.

The surgery will take place after a meeting of Israel’s war cabinet on Sunday. Netanyahu will undergo surgery as thousands of Israelis protest him in Tel Aviv, calling for his resignation and calling for early elections.

Netanyahu’s hernia was reportedly discovered during a routine check Saturday night, as thousands of Israelis protested in the streets of Tel Aviv and called for large-scale demonstrations in Jerusalem.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is also deputy prime minister and close to Netanyahu, will take over his duties during the intervention.

Netanyahu will undergo the operation as thousands of Israelis are expected to gather to show their frustration with his government and call for his resignation.

Aged 74, Netanyahu previously underwent hernia surgery in 2013 and had a pacemaker fitted last year, Sky News also notes.

Netanyahu has been contested for more than a year, since January 2023, when he announced a counter-reform of the Justice that would have crippled the independence of magistrates, which brought tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets every weekend.

On Saturday night, protesters blocked one of Tel Aviv’s main roads as two parallel rallies took place, one calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza and the other criticizing the Israeli government. The police used water cannons against the demonstrators who lit fires and blocked part of the road with cars, AFP notes.

Moreover, in Jerusalem, hundreds of people gathered in front of Netanyahu’s residence and demanded his resignation. Israeli media reported anti-government demonstrations in several other cities across the country, but on a smaller scale.

But the families of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023 have called for a major protest in front of the Parliament in Jerusalem next week.