A former head of Mossad, whose warning that Egypt and Syria were about to attack Israel in 1973 was largely ignored by the government, has died at the age of 98.

Zvi Zamir was in charge of Mossad when Syria and Egypt attacked Israel on October 6, 1973. This marked the start of the Yom Kippur War.

Prior to the invasion, a senior informant told Zamir, who led the Israeli intelligence agency from 1968 to 1974, that Cairo and Damascus were planning a surprise offensive.

However, Israeli officials treated this as a ruse and as a result the government failed to mount a full mobilisation in advance.

Within hours of the informant's tip-off, Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked and overran Israeli lines although they were eventually repelled in an Israeli counteroffensive.

Israeli political figures have paid tribute to Zvi Zamir (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The attack became a national trauma for Israelis, now grappling with the shock of Hamas’ terror attack last October.

Zamir also oversaw Israel's campaign of assassinating Palestinian commanders blamed for the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

"His contribution to Israel's security will be remembered for many years to come," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on social media platform X/Twitter.

Danny Yatom, also a former Mossad chief, told Israeli Army Radio: "He (Zamir) departed with a feeling that perhaps had he been more forceful it (the 1973 war) would not have happened. It burned him up inside.”

Zamir's death was announced by Mossad on Tuesday morning.