The prime minister was kept at Sheba Medical Center overnight Saturday for observation after collapsing in his Caesarea home.

By JNS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was kept at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan overnight Saturday for observation after being admitted to the emergency department earlier in the day apparently suffering from dehydration, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

Netanyahu is expected to be released from the hospital later on Sunday. The weekly Cabinet meeting, which usually takes place on Sunday mornings, was accordingly postponed to Monday.

According to sources cited by local media, the 73-year-old Netanyahu briefly lost consciousness in his private home in Caesarea and subsequently smacked his head on the floor before checking himself into the emergency room.

His personal physician, Dr. Zvi Berkowitz, rushed to Sheba Medical Center to tend to the premier. The doctor described the prime minister’s condition as “good and stable.”

Following his arrival at the hospital, Netanyahu reportedly underwent a brain imaging procedure to rule out brain damage as a result of the fall, in addition to an examination by a cardiologist.

In a video shared on social media after the end of Shabbat, the prime minister clarified: “Yesterday I spent some time at the Sea of Galilee with my wife, in the sun, without a hat and without water. Not a good idea.”

“Thank God, I’m feeling very good,” continued Netanyahu, while urging the public to “spend less time in the sun [and]drink more water.”

In recent days, Israel has been experiencing a scorching heat wave, with temperatures reaching as high as 38° (100°F) in southern Israel. The heat wave, which is affecting the eastern Mediterranean region as well as the Balkans and much of Europe, is expected to continue into the middle of this week.

In October, Netanyahu spent a night at the hospital under medical observation due to chest pains that began while he was attending Yom Kippur synagogue services. Medical tests all came back normal, the Shaare Zedek Medical Center said at the time.