Former Israeli president Shimon Peres, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 93, died at the age of 1994. His death, which occurred at 2:15 local time (1:15 in Italy), was announced by military radio, which interrupted normal programming.
Two weeks ago Peres suffered a stroke which forced him to hospital. After the first treatments, the doctors had spoken of a critical but stable condition. Yesterday the sudden deterioration.
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has called a mourning session of his government for this morning. In a statement, Netanyahu and his wife expressed "deep sorrow over the death of a person dear to the entire nation, and former head of state of Israel".
In his life and with his actions “my father bequeathed us tomorrow – said the son of Shimon Peres, Chemi, meeting the press in the Tel Ha-Shomer hospital in Tel Aviv -. He commanded us to build Israel's future with courage and wisdom, and to always pave the way for a future of peace."
US President Barack Obama recalled the former Israeli president and prime minister as a statesman whose commitment to his country's security and the search for peace "was rooted in his unbreakable moral foundation and his tireless optimism".
In a statement released by the White House, Obama says that Peres looked to the future "guided by a vision of human dignity and progress towards which he knew that people of good will could advance together."
