Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's health condition has deteriorated with blood infection affecting his vital organs, said the hospital where he is hospitalized on Friday.

"Test results indicate a slow and gradual deterioration in Mr. Sharon's condition," head of Sheba Medical Center, Prof. Ze'ev Rotstein, said at a press conference.

Rotstein said Sharon is still in "critical state" and his life is in danger. "We haven't noticed an improvement in the past 24 hours, but we see an evolving multiple organs failure," he said.

The health of the 85-year-old, who has been in comatose state since 2006, had deteriorated on Wednesday as he suffered a kidney failure.

Sharon, who led Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip enclave in 2005, suffered a minor stroke in December of that year, while presiding as Israel's prime minister.

On Jan. 4, 2006, he suffered another stroke, this time a severe one. After receiving emergency treatment he slipped into a coma.

He had joined Israeli politics at the end of the 1970's and became the leader of the right-wing Likud party in 2000. He withdrew from the party in 2005 and formed the Kadima party with more dovish views in order to advance a diplomatic move with the Palestinians.