Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have offered their condolences over the death of former Israeli president Shimon Peres to their Israeli counterparts, President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In his letter to Mr Rivlin, Dr Tan wrote: "Mr Peres was a respected global statesman and a long-serving leader of the State of Israel. He had held almost every major public office, including serving as President, Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Defence Minister.

"Even after retiring from a distinguished career in public service spanning over six decades, Mr Peres continued to travel widely to advocate for peace."

He termed Mr Peres' passing a "great loss" to the people of Israel and the international community, but said "his tireless pursuit of a better world will continue to inspire us".

Mr Lee, in his letter to Mr Netanyahu, wrote: "Mr Peres was a visionary who worked tirelessly in the service of Israel and its people, long after retiring from politics. I had the privilege of meeting him on several occasions, and benefiting from his experience and friendship...

"This April, I called on him at the Peres Centre of Peace during my visit to Israel. He received me graciously."

Mr Lee remarked that even at Mr Peres' advanced age, he was still deeply concerned about how to bring peace to Israel and its neighbours. "His mind was sharply focused on science and education, firmly believing that this was the way to foster greater understanding between peoples," wrote Mr Lee.

Calling Mr Peres a "titan of his generation", Mr Lee also posted his condolences on Facebook.