Elderly freed hostage Elma Avraham out of danger — hospital

Elma Avraham, an 84-year-old brought to Israel in critical condition after being released on Sunday from Gazan captivity, is on the mend and off a ventilator, the head of the trauma unit at Soroka hospital says.

“I’m happy to report that the last few hours have seen an improvement in her condition,” Prof. Moti Klein says. “She is awake, breathing on her own and no longer needs the same level of care as when she got here.”

Klein says Avraham arrived at Ichilov late Sunday with all of her vital signs “extremely low.” The Nahal Oz resident had taken several medications for chronic conditions, some of which doctors described as life-saving, but she did not have access to the medication while held in Gaza.

“This is why she was listed in life-threatening condition,” Klein says. “These signs and lab tests bolstered the understanding that her condition was seemingly a result of not taking these required medications.”

He says Avraham is remaining in intensive care for continued treatment.