The Prime Minister said: “Ariel Sharon is one of the most significant figures in Israeli history and as prime minister he took brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace, before he was so tragically incapacitated. Israel has today lost an important leader.”

US President Barack Obama said he joined Israelis in honouring Sharon’s commitment to Israel and affirmed traditional US support for Israel’s security.

In a statement, Mr Obama said he and his wife, Michelle, send their deepest condolences to Sharon’s family and to Israelis on “the loss of a leader who dedicated his life to the state of Israel”.

“We reaffirm our unshakable commitment to Israel’s security and our appreciation for the enduring friendship between our two countries and our two peoples,” he said.

He also said the United States continues to strive for lasting peace and security for Israelis “including through our commitment to the goal of two states living side-by-side in peace and security”.

Bill and Hillary Clinton praised Sharon as leader who “who gave his life to Israel.”

In a statement, the former US president and his wife, the ex-secretary of state said: “It was an honour to work with him, argue with him, and watch him always trying to find the right path for his beloved country.”

“Ariel Sharon gave his life to Israel – to bring it into being, to sustain and preserve it, and at the end of his long service, to create a new political party committed to both a just peace and lasting security,” they added.

^{Israelis gather at the grave of Ariel Sharon’s late wife, Lily, following the news of Sharon’s death (REUTERS)}

Israeli President Shimon Peres mourned him as a “dear friend”. “Arik [Mr Sharon’s widely-used nick-name] was a brave soldier and a daring leader who loved his nation and his nation loved him,” Mr Peres said in a statement issued by his office. “He was one of Israel’s great protectors and most important architects, who knew no fear and certainly never feared vision.

“He knew how to take difficult decisions and implement them. We all loved him and he will be greatly missed. I send my condolences to the Sharon family, may he rest in peace.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasised his military, rather than political, exploits: “He was first and foremost a brave warrior and great strategist, among the greatest of Israel Defence Force commanders.”

Moshe Ya’alon, Israel’s defence minister and a former army chief of staff, called Mr Sharon “an extraordinary military commander” whose life was “intertwined with Israel’s history”.

“He was a man of the land who dedicated his life to this country, making at times considerable sacrifices,” Mr Ya’alon said.

“Ariel Sharon was first and foremost an extraordinary military commander that turned the IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] into an army that confronts the enemy and quickly prevails. He displayed his military leadership in the battlefield, both in battles against regular armies and in the fight against terrorism. The defence establishment, that Sharon was an integral part of and headed himself, bows its head on this day in which he has passed away.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel “is mourning with the Israeli people” for Sharon, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

“With his courageous decision to withdraw the Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip, he took a historic step on the path to a deal with the Palestinians and a two-state solution,” a statement said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “highly praised Ariel Sharon’s personal qualities and his activities to protect Israel’s interests, noting a high respect for him among compatriots and his high authority in the international arena.”

A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “is saddened by the death of Mr. Ariel Sharon … Sharon will be remembered for his political courage and determination to carry through with the painful and historic decision to withdraw Israeli settlers and troops from the Gaza Strip. His successor faces the difficult challenge of realizing the aspirations of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian people.”

Palestinian figures took a harsher view. Tawfik Tirawi, who served as Palestinian intelligence chief when Sharon was prime minister, said: “He wanted to erase the Palestinian people from the map … He wanted to kill us, but at the end of the day, Sharon is dead and the Palestinian people are alive.”

^{Palestinian refugee children living in the Ain al-Helweh camp on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, flash the V-sign for victory following the news of the death of former Israeli premier Ariel Sharon (AFP)}

Khalil al-Haya, a leader in the Islamic militant group Hamas which governs the Gaza Strip, applauded his departure. “After eight years, he is going in the same direction as other tyrants and criminals whose hands were covered with Palestinian blood.”

Jibril Rajub, a senior official of the Fatah party, expressed regret that Sharon was never taken before the International Criminal Court and suggested he had been involved in the 2004 death of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, whom many believe was poisoned.

“Sharon was a criminal, responsible for the assassination of (Palestinian president Yasser) Arafat, and we would have hoped to see him appear before the International Criminal Court as a war criminal,” Mr Rajub said.

Human rights groups noted his association with abuses such as the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, his implication in which forced him to step down as defence minister a year later.

“His passing is another grim reminder that years of virtual impunity for rights abuses have done nothing to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace any closer,” said Leah Whitson, Middle East Director of Human Rights Watch.

Source: the guardian