Shimon Peres dies in hospital aged 93

Former president had suffered stroke two weeks ago

Barack Obama leads tributes to Nobel laureate

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address nation later

Shimon Peres, Israeli statesman – obituary​

Shimon Peres, the former Israeli prime minister, president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has died at the age of 93.

The Israeli statesman suffered a major stroke two weeks ago and died in hospital in Tel Aviv early on Wednesday.

Barack Obama, the US president, led the tributes as leaders past and present mourned the passing of Mr Peres.

"There are few people who we share this world with who change the course of human history, not just through their role in human events, but because they expand our moral imagination and force us to expect more of ourselves. My friend Shimon was one of those people," Mr Obama said in a White House statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was due to deliver a special address later, issued a statement of mourning: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara express deep personal sorrow over the passing of the nation's beloved former president, Shimon Peres."