JERUSALEM, April 12 (Reuters) - The medical condition of comatose former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has improved very slightly, a television report quoted family members on Thursday as saying.

Sharon suffered a brain haemorrhage on Jan. 4, 2006, while he was prime minister, lost consciousness and remains comatose in a long-term care facility near Tel Aviv. Doctors do not expect him to recover.

The report on Israel's Channel 10 news quoted Sharon's son, Omri, saying the 78-year-old was able to respond to various questions with a slight tightening of his hand.

"Father follows things with his eyes, he watches television, mainly National Geographic (channel) and other nature programmes.

"He responds not only with his eyes, but with a firming of his hand ... and not only to questions such as 'does it hurt'," Channel 10 quoted Omri Sharon as saying.

A spokeswoman for the hospital in which Sharon is being treated declined to comment on Sharon's condition.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert who as Sharon's deputy was untried as a national leader, took over as caretaker from the former general and then won a general election in March 2006.

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