Shimon Peres, the former prime minister of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize winner, died early Wednesday at 93.
Peres, who also served in various high positions throughout the Israeli government and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994, had suffered a stroke two weeks earlier, said the Jerusalem Post. The BBC News said Peres's condition had improved before he suffered a sudden deterioration Tuesday.
Along with being prime minister he had held the defense minister and foreign minister positions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement about Peres before a special address that was planned for later Wednesday, said The Telegraph.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara express deep personal sorrow over the passing of the nation's beloved former president, Shimon Peres," the statement said.
United Nation Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Peres was "a good partner of the United Nations," said the Post.
"I met Mr. Peres on many occasions, and always benefited from his views," Ban said. "Even in the most difficult hours, he remained an optimist about the prospects for reconciliation and peace. … May his spirit of determination guide us as we work to ensure peace, security and dignity for Israelis, Palestinians and all the peoples of the region."
Peres was one of the last of a generation of Israeli politicians present at Israel's birth in 1948 and won the Nobel Peace prize for helping negotiate peace accords with the Palestinians in 1993, said the BBC News.
"There is no other solution," Peres said in 2013 of the peace accords, said The Telegraph. "Peace for Israel is not just a strategic choice. It is a moral call which stems from the depth of our heritage."
The Post said President Barack Obama is expected to attend Peres's funeral on Friday, along with former president Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Charles, German President Joachim Gauck, French President Francois Hollande, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Togo President Faure Gnassingbé.
Hillary Clinton is also expected to attend along with Secretary of State John Kerry.
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