State funeral of ex-Israeli PM to be held on Monday

JERUSALEM (Xinhua) - Israel will hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday, who died on Saturday at the age of 85, his family said.

Sharon will be laid to rest at a site close to his family's Sycamore Ranch in southern Israel. He will be buried next to his wife Lily Sharon, who died 14 years ago.

Local media reported on Sunday that his casket will be stationed in the Knesset (parliament) in order to allow the public to pay their last respect.

Sharon died at the Sheba Medical Center in central Israel after eight years in a coma following a 2006 stroke.

The iconic statesmen and retired general was one of the most influential and controversial figures in Israeli politics.