Former Israeli President Shimon Peres, 93, is being treated in a hospital near Tel Aviv after suffering a stroke on Tuesday.
“The ninth president of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, has been admitted to the Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer) after suffering a stroke. His condition is stable and he is under light sedation and is responsive. He is currently receiving medical treatment,” according to a statement released by Peres’ office at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
According to an update, issued close to an hour later, “doctors sedated and intubated him so as to best facilitate the continuation of his treatment. He will undergo a CT scan so as to get a full and updated assessment of his situation.”
A spokesperson for Peres told United with Israel that the former president is in a medically induced coma, adding that the situation is “serious.”
Peres was rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pains in January – a week after suffering a mild heart attack.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement, saying, “I wish former President Shimon Peres a speedy recovery. Shimon, we love you, and the entire nation hopes for your recovery.”
By: Terri Nir, United with Israel
UPDATE: Close to midnight, Prof. Yitzhak Kreiss, director of Sheba Medical Center, issued the following statement:
“The ninth president of the State of Israel, Shimon Peres, suffered a major stroke today. He is being treated by the best doctors in the hospital from across the medical fields. He underwent a number of scans and is currently sedated and intubated. He is in intensive care and we are monitoring him constantly. In the coming hours we will conduct further examinations and will update regarding his condition.”
“These are difficult hours for me and my family,” Chemi Peres, the former president’s son, told media. “I want to start by thanking the medical staff at Tel Hashomer who are assessing my father and consulting with the family. There will come a time when we will need to take some decisions. Everything is dependent on how things develop and we don’t know more than that at present.
“The family are all gathering at the hospital and we will continue to update,” he continued. “We are receiving a huge number of messages from Israel and abroad from all our friends who are surrounding us with love and care. I want to tell them all that there was nothing more important to my father than Israel and its people. My father is one of a kind, I am praying for him and ask all those that pray to continue to pray with us. We thank everyone for your love and care.”
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