The City Authority In Palestine Changed One Of Its Street Names To Shireen Abu Akleh, A Journalist Who Was Killed In An Israeli Attack

Shireen Abu Akleh Street in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine. (Twitter/@LinaAbuAkleh)

JAKARTA - A street in Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine changed its name to Shireen Abu Akleh, the name of the late Al Jazeera journalist who was killed while covering the Israeli attack, signifying the local people's love for his respected figure.

This street is located in the heart of Ramallah, one minute walk from Al-Manara Square, a busy square area. Previously, the street was called Sanaa. It is very rare for street names in Ramallah to be changed. However, residents say the name change shows Shireen Abu Akleh's place in the hearts of the Palestinian community.

"The square witnessed the historic events of Palestine and Shireen has always been there, walking through this particular street for more than a quarter of a decade", said Ramallah City official Ahmed Abu Laban to Al Jazeera, as quoted on August 11.

"We want to make sure that his memory remains eternal", he added.

Meanwhile, Abu Akleh's colleagues said the road was one of his favorite locations when doing live broadcasts for television.

Shireen Abu Akleh. (Twitter/@ShireenNasri)

For more than 25 years, Shireen was welcomed into Palestinian and Arab homes as she traveled to report important moments in Palestinian history. After her murder, many Palestinians nicknamed her the 'Princess of Palestine'.

"He was a unifying figure. The way he was killed increased the feeling of grief and collective sadness", said Safaa Dweik, director of the Ramallah City GIS department.

Meanwhile, Al Jazeera bureau chief in Palestine Walid al-Omari said it is difficult to explain people's love for Abu Akleh.

"Shireen left no choice for others but to love her", he said. Al-Omari promised to continue to pursue all efforts to obtain the death of Shireen Abu Akleh.

Ahead of the three-month anniversary of Shireen's death, an official ceremony was held on Wednesday in her honor. The Mayor of Ramallah, accompanied by Abu Akleh's family and his colleagues, slid a stone memorial with Shireen's picture and important events in her life.

On that occasion, Anton Abu Akleh, Shireen's brother, said the family would continue its efforts to hold Israel accountable.

"She was killed because she told the story and suffering of Palestine to the world", he stressed, promising to keep Shireen's legacy alive. He added, that changing the name of the road is an honor for Shireen and all those who sacrificed their lives for Palestine.

It is known that the Palestinian Authority's investigation concluded that he was killed intentionally by Israeli forces. Meanwhile, several international investigations found that Israeli forces killed the journalist. However, Israel has not yet opened a criminal investigation into his murder. Al Jazeera and Abu Akleh's family have taken this murder to the International Criminal Court.

Shireen Abu Akleh St.

Ramallah📍 pic.twitter.com/T8GYlO1e4c

— Lina Abu Akleh (@LinaAbuAkleh) June 21, 2022