Israeli PM Netanyahu undergoes hernia surgery

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to leave the hospital Sunday afternoon after he underwent a hernia operation overnight.


The surgery went off without complications, his spokesman Ofir Gendleman said in a tweet.


Netanyahu, 63, was taken to Hadassah Hospital-Ein Karem in Jerusalem after he complained of pain Saturday. A CT scan confirmed the hernia, his office said.


The weekly Sunday morning cabinet meeting has been postponed as Netanyahu recovers.


Netanyahu, known throughout Israel by the nickname "Bibi," leads the right-wing Likud Party and has been prime minister since 2009. He served an earlier term as prime minister from 1996 to 1999.