Related: Sharon rushed to hospital after significant stroke

         World leaders wish for Sharon's recovery  

    

Israeli police officers stand guard in front of the entrance to the emergency room at the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital, where Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is hospitalized, in Jerusalem, early January 5, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters)

JERUSALEM, Jan. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a "significant" stroke with "massive bleeding" in his brain late Wednesday night, according to a Hadassah Hospital official.

    Sharon's authority has been transferred to Vice Premier Ehud Olmert, Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said.

    In a brief statement outside the Jerusalem hospital, Dr. ShlomoMor-Yosef said Sharon had suffered "a significant stroke," adding that he was "under anesthetic and receiving breathing assistance."     

    Mor-Yosef emerged to say that initial tests showed Sharon had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding inside his brain. According to him, Sharon had "massive bleeding and was being transferred to an operating theater."

    Israeli Channel 2 TV said Sharon was suffering from paralysis in his lower body. Senior political source feared that Sharon might not recover from hemorrhage. Sharon's aides said they are waiting for a miracle.

    Sharon was rushed to Hadassah Hospital shortly before 11 P.M. Wednesday night after feeling chest pains, less than three weeks after suffering a mild stroke and the day before he was to undergo a heart procedure. He arrived by ambulance from his Sycamore Ranchin southern Israel, and was immediately taken into the emergency room.

    Both his sons, Gilad and Omri, were with Sharon when he was not feeling well, and they accompanied him to the hospital.

    

Israeli PM Sharon attends a session in Israel's parliament in this Jan. 1, 2006 file photo. (Xinhua/Retuers)

The Prime Minister was scheduled to undergo a heart procedure Thursday morning. He will undergo a general anesthetic, and the entire process -- from the time he is put under the anesthetic for the procedure to the time when he is expected to come out of it --is expected to take three hours.

    During this period of time Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will take over as acting prime minister.

    Sharon was expected to leave the hospital Friday morning for his Negev ranch, and return to his office either Sunday or Monday.

    On Dec. 18, 78-year-old Sharon was taken to Hadassah Hospital from his office after suffering a mild stroke. Doctors said he would not suffer long-term effects from the stroke, but they discovered a birth defect in his heart that apparently contributed to the stroke.

    Since the stroke, Sharon has been receiving blood thinners to try to prevent a recurrence of the clotting that caused the stroke.   Enditem