Palestine urges International Olympic Committee to exclude Israel from Paris 2024 Olympics

The Palestinian Olympic body (POC) on Monday called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude Israel from the Paris Olympics that will begin this week, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The Palestine Olympic Committee has issued a formal letter to Mr. Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee, calling for the immediate exclusion of Israel from the Paris Olympics 2024. The Palestine Football Association (PFA) also sent the letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino,” the POC statement read.

Earlier this week, Israel sent around 88 athletes to the Olympics in the French capital, and their Olympic delegation includes the Israeli national football team.

The Paris 2024 will begin with an opening ceremony on the River Seine on Friday.

“The letter follows months of information delivered by the respective Palestinian sports bodies on the systematic and ongoing violations of the Olympic Charter and the FIFA statutes committed by the Israeli sports bodies and its members, including the Olympic Committee and the Israeli Football Association,” the POC said.

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The letter focuses on Israel’s breach of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Paris 2024 Olympics, which mandates an Olympic Truce from 19 July to 15 September, 2024, to ensure a peaceful environment for the Games, by conducting bombings in Gaza, resulting in civilian casualties, the statement added.

“Approximately 400 Palestinian athletes have been killed, and the destruction of sports facilities exacerbates the plight of athletes who are already under severe restrictions,” the letter read.

The letter also stressed the International Court of Justice’s ruling, which concluded that Israel is implementing an apartheid regime and illegally occupying Palestinian Territory, including Gaza.

Another country at war, Russia, was previously excluded from the Olympics by the International Olympic Committee in response to the Russia-Ukraine War, the flags, emblems and anthems of Russia and Belarus were not to be used at the Olympics, and it was decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete at the Paris Olympics as “neutral athletes”.

Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas.

Over 39,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 90,000 injured, according to local health authorities.

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