Leila Shahid, the first female Palestinian diplomat, dies aged 76

Leila Shahid, the first female Palestinian diplomat, has died at the age of 76. Born in Beirut to a family exiled during the 1948 Nakba, she became a prominent international representative for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Her diplomatic career included serving as an envoy to Ireland, the Netherlands, France, and the European Union. A close associate of Yasser Arafat, Shahid was considered a leading voice for Palestinian self-determination, particularly within the Francophone world.