IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot speaks at a conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya January 2, 2017. (Flash90)
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot was hospitalized Thursday in order to undergo a planned medical treatment, according to the army.
The treatment at the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva is due to take place “in the coming hours,” a Thursday morning statement said.
The army refused to divulge the nature of the treatment, citing Eisenkot’s right to privacy, but said he is expected to be released from hospital in a few days.
The ailment was discovered by his doctor two months ago, but has not affected his ability to serve, an IDF source said.
The announcement was made because Eisenkot, 56, will be unable to serve as chief of staff while he recovers. Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, the deputy chief of staff, will serve as acting head of the army in his stead.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Newly appointed Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman alongside IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot during a ceremony welcoming him to the Defense Ministry, May 31, 2016. (Ariel Harmoni/Ministry of Defense)
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman announced he had decided to extend Eisenkot’s tenure as head of the IDF for a fourth year, pending final approval from the government.
The position of IDF chief of staff is a three-year position, though it can be extended by one or, on rare occasions, two years.
The cabinet will vote on Eisenkot’s extended tenure on January 29, according to Liberman’s office.
Advertisement
Eisenkot became chief of staff in February 2015, taking over for retiring Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.
Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
