Netanyahu hospitalized with suspected dehydration amid Israeli heat wave

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was admitted to hospital suffering from suspected dehydration Saturday, his office said, as fierce heat grips the country.

Netanyahu's initial tests "came out normal" and he appears to be in "good condition," his office said in a statement.

He was admitted Saturday to the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv.

The statement, provided to CNN, said Netanyahu complained of "mild dizziness" before his admission.

"On the recommendation of the doctors, the prime minister continues to undergo additional routine tests." His office later said Netanyahu would stay at the hospital overnight for observation.

The Prime Minister released a video statement later Saturday suggesting he was dehydrated and advising people to drink more water.

"Yesterday, I spent time with my wife in the Sea of ​​Galilee, in the sun, without a hat, without water. Not a good idea," Netanyahu said, "So first of all I want to thank all of you for your concern and also to the excellent teams here at Sheba who examined me.

"Thank God, I feel very well, but I have only one request from you: we are going through a heat wave in the country, so I ask you, be less in the sun and drink more water and let us all have a good week."

Temperatures in Israel have been reaching the mid-30s Celsius (low 90s Fahrenheit) for several days and are expected to continue at that level for the next week, the Israel Meteorological Service said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid wished Netanyahu "a complete recovery and good health" in a tweet.

Israel currently does not have an acting prime minister, meaning that if Netanyahu is incapacitated, the cabinet would have to meet to elect an acting prime minister.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin is deputy prime minister, but under Israel's Basic Laws, acting prime minister is a separate role, meaning Levin would not automatically take over if Netanyahu is incapacitated.

There is no indication at the moment that Netanyahu is incapacitated.

A cabinet meeting set for Sunday has been postponed to Monday, the leader's office said.

Netanyahu, 73, is the leader of Israel's center-right Likud Party and has been the dominant figure in Israeli politics for nearly three decades.

In June 2021, he lost office for the first time in 12 years after rival Naftali Bennett won a parliamentary vote to form a government.

Eighteen months later, he was once again sworn in as prime minister in a dramatic return, cobbling together a coalition.

During Yom Kippur in October 2022, Netanyahu took ill while visiting a synagogue.

He was admitted to hospital where he stayed overnight before being released.