Remarkable recovery for Israeli police officer shot in the line of duty

Heilperin, 25, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head on November 28 when responding to an incident where a suspect had barricaded himself in an apartment, is now fully conscious and able to communicate with her family and medical staff at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital.

The officer had been sedated and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit since the shooting. Her transfer to a regular ward comes as her condition has steadily improved over recent days, hospital officials reported.

The announcement of her improvement coincides with the first night of Hanukkah, lending additional significance to what many are calling a "miracle" recovery.

The incident occurred when police responded to a barricaded suspect in Pisgat Ze'ev. The suspect fired at close range at officers after they entered the premises. Following the shooting, Magen David Adom paramedics provided initial emergency treatment before rushing Heilperin to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in critical condition.

Police later confirmed they had apprehended the shooter and opened an investigation, initially classifying the incident as criminal rather than terror-related. Large police forces from the Jerusalem District remained at the scene to investigate the circumstances of the shooting.