Former Israeli president Shimon Peres dies at 93

Former Israeli president Shimon Peres has died almost two weeks after suffering a stroke.

The Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv pronounced the 93-year-old Peres dead at 0000 GMT on Wednesday.

He had been rushed to hospital on September 13 following chest pains, an abnormal heartbeat and severe internal bleeding.

While he was in the hospital, officials had described his condition as serious and had put him in a medically-induced coma in the intensive care unit.

Peres had held numerous positions in the Israeli regime during his seven decades of political life. He had served as the regime’s premier and military chief and most recently as its president.

Under Peres’ tenure as president, i.e. 2007-2014, two full-scale wars were launched against the Palestinian sliver of the Gaza Strip, which together killed some 3,700 Palestinians.

(This item is being updated.)