A. Lipkin-Shahak | Ex-Israeli official, 68

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, 68, a former chief of staff of the Israeli military and a cabinet minister who was involved in peace talks with the Palestinians, died Wednesday in Jerusalem. His death was confirmed by a spokeswoman at the Hadassah Medical Center in southwest Jerusalem, where he had been treated for cancer.

In a statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mr. Lipkin-Shahak "an Israeli hero who dedicated his best years to the security of the state of Israel."

He was deputy chief of staff and chief of staff during the years before and after Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed the Oslo Accords, the first peace agreements with the Palestine Liberation Organization. He was awarded the Medal of Courage for his role in a bold operation against Palestinian militant bases in Jordanian territory in 1968, and for his part in a 1973 assault on PLO leaders in Beirut.

He is survived by his wife, Tali Lipkin-Shahak, and five children. - N.Y. Times News Service