Israeli ex-president and Nobel laureate Shimon Peres dies: doctor

[JERUSALEM] Israeli ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres died on Wednesday, his personal doctor told AFP, some two weeks after suffering a major stroke.

The 93-year-old died at around 3:00am (0000 GMT), Rafi Walden, who is also Mr Peres' son-in-law, told AFP. He did not give further details but said a press conference would be held in the coming hours.

Mr Peres had been in hospital near Tel Aviv since Sept 13, when he was admitted feeling unwell and suffered the stroke with internal bleeding.

Israel has been on edge over the health of its last remaining founding father, who had been under sedation and respiratory support in intensive care.

Mr Peres held nearly every major office in the country, serving twice as prime minister and also as president, a mostly ceremonial role, from 2007 to 2014.

He won the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for his role in negotiating the Oslo Accords, which envisioned an independent Palestinian state.

AFP