Hallandale Beach, Fla., a city of some 40,000 people nestled between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, on Wednesday renamed a street in honor of its Israeli sister city, Sderot, Local10.com reported over the weekend.
During an event held on Wednesday afternoon, city officials renamed Southeast Fifth Street “Sderot Way” as a show of support following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist massacre.
Sderot, an Israeli city of some 36,000 residents located less than a mile from the Gaza Strip, was taken over by Hamas terrorists during the surprise invasion.
Sderot was one of the hardest-hit cities during the massacre. It was liberated after many hours of fighting and after armored bulldozers were used to bring down the local police station, which had been taken over by terrorists.
Dozens of Gazan gunmen killed at least 53 people—37 civilians, 11 police officers, three Israel Defense Forces soldiers and two firefighters.
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper was joined by Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi and his deputy, Hava Nachshonov, for Wednesday’s ceremony.
The people of Hallandale Beach “stand together with our sister city, Sderot, and will continue to show our solidarity as Israel protects its homeland and rebuilds a bright future,” Cooper said in a statement.
“This dedication represents our commitment to unity and our heartfelt support for those affected by this tragedy,” she added, per Local10.com.
“When a city in Florida chooses to honor the name of Sderot on a central street, it is a message of true partnership,” Davidi said.
“Our friendship with Hallandale Beach strengthens our residents and demonstrates that our connection spans continents and is based on deep values of solidarity and shared faith in the future,” he added.
Most of the roughly 65,000 residents of the “Gaza Envelope"—the area within 7 km. (4.35 miles) of the Strip—nearly all of whom were evacuated after the start of the Oct. 7 war, have returned home. In addition, around 3,000 new residents have moved to the Western Negev since Oct. 7, most of them to the city of Sderot.
