Lela Shahid had become emblematic of the Palestinian cause, much like of formerPLOleaderYasser Arafat.
Shahid, who was a former Palestinian delegate-general toFrance, died on Wednesday, February 18, at the age of 76, her family announced to French newspaper Le Monde. She had been ill for many months and was living in the south of France.
Born inBeirutto a Palestinian family originally fromJerusalem, Shahid became a leading figure within the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which for decades was headed by Yasser Arafat.
From 1989 to 1993, she served as the PLOs first female representative overseas inIreland, theNetherlandsandDenmark. She became the Palestinian delegate-general to France in 1994. At the time, Yasser Arafat was president of thePalestinian Authority.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Originally published on France24
