Former Israeli president and the country's eldest statesman, Shimon Peres, has passed away in Tel Aviv at the age of 93.  His son Chemi made the announcement.
 
"Today, with deep sorrow, we bid farewell to our beloved father, the ninth President of Israel, Shimon Peres. He was one of the founding fathers of the state of Israel and served our people before we even had a country of our own. He worked tirelessly for Israel from the very first day of the state to the last day of his life," said Chemi Peres, son of Shimon Peres.

Peres was hospitalized following a stroke two weeks ago, and had made some progress before a sudden deterioration in his condition on Tuesday. In a political career spanning nearly 70 years, he served as president, prime minister, minister of defense, and many other key positions in Israel. Peres was pivotal in securing the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.  The two of them, along with Yitzak Rabin, were awarded the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.