Yitzhak Shamir, the onetime underground Jewish fighter and long-serving Israeli prime minister whose unyielding belief in the right of Jews to all of the biblical Land of Israel often exasperated U.S. policymakers, has died. He was 96.

Shamir, who had Alzheimer's disease, died Saturday at a nursing home in the town of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. His death was announced by the Israeli government.

Israeli President Shimon Peres said Shamir was "a brave warrior before and after the founding of the state of Israel," according to a statement released Saturday. "He was loyal to his views, a great patriot and a true lover of Israel who served his country with integrity and unending commitment."