Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to undergo surgery to implant pacemaker, admitted to hospital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo surgery to have a pacemaker implanted, said his office in an official statement on Sunday.

Netanyahu has arrived at Sheba Medical Center, and the procedure of implanting a cardiac pacemaker has begun, reported Times of Israel.

This decision comes just days after he was discharged from the hospital following a health scare.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu will tonight undergo a procedure to implant a pacemaker at Sheba Medical Centre at Tel Hashomer," the statement reads.

"The procedure will be carried out under sedation, during which time Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Lenin will stand in for him," it added.

A week ago, Netanyahu, aged 73, had been released from the same medical centre after a night of hospitalisation due to complaints of dizziness.

Sheba's head of cardiology professor Amit Segev said last week that at that time, as part of cardiological tests, the centre decided to use Holter monitor to monitor his heart rhythm.

PM Netanyahu had “completed a series of tests and is in excellent condition,” said Dr Segev.

At the end of all the tests performed, including the laboratory tests, our diagnosis is that the reason for the hospitalisation was dehydration, Dr Segev had said in a video statement.