Peres, 93, 'critical but stable' after stroke

Former Israeli President Shimon Peres remains in a "critical but stable" condition in hospital following a massive stroke, his son-in-law and personal physician Rafi Valdan said on Wednesday, though the family is optimistic he will recover.

Valdan said it was too early to tell whether there may be lasting neurological damage following the stroke that afflicted the right side of Peres' brain on Tuesday, but the 93-year-old's broader health indicators were good.

"All the parameters are stable - blood pressure, heart rate, blood saturation," Valdan told reporters, adding that that gave him a "certain optimism".