Israel's Defence Minister Temporarily Replaces Prime Minister Undergoing Medical Checks

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will assume the prime minister's duties on Friday while Benjamin Netanyahu is set to undergo a medical examination involving a sedation period, the office of the Israeli prime minister said in a press release.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu will [on Friday] undergo a routine examination, which was scheduled in advance, of his digestive tract. The examination will be done under sedation", the press release read, adding that "Defence Minister Benny Gantz will serve as Acting Prime Minister during the examination."

Aside from the defence portfolio, Gantz is a prime minister-in-waiting as per a coalition agreement he had to resort to earlier this year in a bid to end the political vacuum in the country.

Israel had three consecutive snap votes in less than a year before an agreement was reached between Netanyahu's Likud party and Gantz's Blue and White alliance to form a coalition government. Under the deal, the position of the Israeli prime minister became rotational, with the first half of the term to be served by Netanyahu and the second half beginning next November by Gantz.