Shimon Peres in serious condition after suffering stroke

Associated Press

JERUSALEM

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres suffered a “major stroke” Tuesday and experienced heavy bleeding in the brain, hospital officials said, as doctors raced to stabilize the 93-year-old Nobel laureate.

Dr. Itzik Kreiss, director of the Sheba Medical Center, told reporters outside the hospital near Tel Aviv that Peres experienced “lots of bleeding” as a result of the stroke. He said he had undergone a battery of tests, and that doctors planned to perform another assessment in a few hours.

Standing alongside Kreiss, Peres’ son Chemi said the situation was “not simple,” but that the family was trying to stay positive.

“My father is very special. I am keeping optimistic. Hoping for the best. But these hours are not easy,” he said.

He thanked the Israeli public for offering its support and prayers.

Peres’ office issued a statement early today describing his condition as “serious but stable.” It said he remained hospitalized in the intensive-care unit.

Earlier, Israeli media reported the bleeding had stopped. Dr. Shlomi Matezsky, one of the doctors treating Peres, told Channel 2 TV that Peres had regained consciousness and was on a respirator.

Peres is the elder statesman of Israeli politics and the last surviving link to the country’s founding fathers.

Over a seven-decade career, he held virtually every senior political office in Israel, including three terms as prime minister and stints as foreign and finance minister. He won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in reaching an interim peace agreement with the Palestinians.