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| Shimon Peres funeral: World leaders gather in Israel | Shimon Peres funeral: World leaders gather in Israel |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of world leaders are gathering in Israel to pay tributes to Shimon Peres, one of the country's founding fathers, who died on Wednesday aged 93. | Dozens of world leaders are gathering in Israel to pay tributes to Shimon Peres, one of the country's founding fathers, who died on Wednesday aged 93. |
| Mr Peres' state funeral will be held in Jerusalem later on Friday. | Mr Peres' state funeral will be held in Jerusalem later on Friday. |
| A massive security operation in preparation has so far led to the "preventative arrests" of several people. | A massive security operation in preparation has so far led to the "preventative arrests" of several people. |
| Guests include the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who will visit Israel for the first time since 2010. | Guests include the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who will visit Israel for the first time since 2010. |
| The Israeli news website Haaretz reported that the visit comes at the request of Mr Abbas. | The Israeli news website Haaretz reported that the visit comes at the request of Mr Abbas. |
| As a negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), he was one of the people who signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993, for which Mr Peres won a Nobel Peace Prize the year after, along with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. | As a negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), he was one of the people who signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993, for which Mr Peres won a Nobel Peace Prize the year after, along with Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin. |
| A senior Palestinian official told the Associated Press news agency that Mr Abbas wanted to "send a strong message to Israeli society that the Palestinians are for peace, and appreciate the efforts of peaceful men like Shimon Peres". | A senior Palestinian official told the Associated Press news agency that Mr Abbas wanted to "send a strong message to Israeli society that the Palestinians are for peace, and appreciate the efforts of peaceful men like Shimon Peres". |
| But a spokesman for Hamas, the more hardline Palestinian group which runs Gaza, called on Mr Abbas to "retract his decision to participate in the funeral of the criminal Shimon Peres". | But a spokesman for Hamas, the more hardline Palestinian group which runs Gaza, called on Mr Abbas to "retract his decision to participate in the funeral of the criminal Shimon Peres". |
| Mr Peres' reputation in the region is complicated by the 1996 shelling of Qana in southern Lebanon that killed more than 100 people who were sheltering in a UN compound. | |
| It happened when he was prime minister. He later said it was a "bitter surprise" to find that several hundred people were in the camp at the time. | It happened when he was prime minister. He later said it was a "bitter surprise" to find that several hundred people were in the camp at the time. |
| Only one country in the Middle East - Jordan - is sending an official representative. | Only one country in the Middle East - Jordan - is sending an official representative. |
| Mixed reaction to Peres' legacy in world media | Mixed reaction to Peres' legacy in world media |
| Long legacy of Israel's elder statesman | Long legacy of Israel's elder statesman |
| Obituary: Shimon Peres, Israeli founding father | Obituary: Shimon Peres, Israeli founding father |
| World leaders pay tribute | World leaders pay tribute |
| US President Barack Obama will speak at the ceremony, along with Mr Peres's three children and the prime minister and president of Israel. | US President Barack Obama will speak at the ceremony, along with Mr Peres's three children and the prime minister and president of Israel. |
| Mr Peres left detailed plans for his own funeral. His body has been lying in state outside parliament in Jerusalem. | Mr Peres left detailed plans for his own funeral. His body has been lying in state outside parliament in Jerusalem. |
| Israeli police say 8,000 officers have been deployed for the security operation as thousands are expected to attend the funeral. | Israeli police say 8,000 officers have been deployed for the security operation as thousands are expected to attend the funeral. |
| Israeli police chief Roni Alsheikh said it was "an operation on an unprecedented scale". | Israeli police chief Roni Alsheikh said it was "an operation on an unprecedented scale". |
| From the UK, Prince Charles, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former Prime Minister Tony Blair will attend. | From the UK, Prince Charles, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former Prime Minister Tony Blair will attend. |
| The funeral is expected to be the largest such event in Israel since the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish nationalist in 1995. | The funeral is expected to be the largest such event in Israel since the funeral of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a Jewish nationalist in 1995. |
| Mr Peres suffered a stroke two weeks ago and died on Wednesday, aged 93, in a hospital near Tel Aviv. | Mr Peres suffered a stroke two weeks ago and died on Wednesday, aged 93, in a hospital near Tel Aviv. |
| Other world dignitaries who are attending include: | Other world dignitaries who are attending include: |
| Who was Shimon Peres? | Who was Shimon Peres? |