Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli ex-president Shimon Peres was “fighting for his life” on Tuesday after suffering a stroke earlier this month, a source close to him said.

“The president is fighting for his life,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “His health position is very, very difficult. His doctors are worried about his health.”

Peres, 93, is a former militant in the Haganah Zionist militia who has held nearly every major office in Israel, serving twice as prime minister. He was also 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.

The former hawk turned dove - the last of group of former militants who established the Israeli regime - is widely respected in Israel.

He suffered a stroke on September 13 and has been hospitalised near Tel Aviv since then.

On September 18, Peres’s office said doctors planned to gradually reduce his sedation and respiratory support to judge his response.

His personal physician and son-in-law Rafi Walden had said at the time that Peres had seen “very slow, moderate improvement”.

In January, Peres was hospitalised twice because of heart trouble.

In the first instance, the hospital said he had suffered a “mild cardiac event” and underwent catheterisation to widen an artery.

He was rushed to hospital a second time just days later with chest pains and an irregular heartbeat.

Peres has sought to maintain an active schedule despite his age, particularly through events related to his Peres Center for Peace.

When leaving hospital on January 19, Peres said he was keen to get back to work.

“I’m so happy to return to work, that was the whole purpose of this operation,” he said.

In March, he met British supermodel Naomi Campbell at his Peres Center for Peace during an event linked to International Women’s Day. On the same day, he met visiting US Vice President Joe Biden.