Gamassi, who held the rank of field marshal, was 82.

He played a major role in planning the October 1973 Arab-Israeli war and was appointed chief of staff of the armed forces during the conflict.

The next year he was appointed defense minister and supervised the military aspect of negotiations with Israel that culminated in the Egypt-Israel peace treaty of 1979, the first between an Arab country and the Jewish state.

WAR.WIRE