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2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris

Palestinian Olympic body asks IOC to bar Israeli athletes from 2024 Olympics

The Palestinian NOC also noted in its letter to Bach that "approximately 400 Palestinian athletes have been killed, and the destruction of sports facilities exacerbates the plight of athletes who are already under severe restrictions"

CAIRO, July 23. /TASS/. The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Palestine has forwarded a letter to President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach asking him to bar Israeli athletes from the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games in France, Arab News web portal reported on Tuesday.

The letter, according to Arab News, "emphasized that Palestinian athletes, particularly those in Gaza, are denied safe passage and have suffered significantly due to ongoing conflict."

The Palestinian NOC also added in its letter to Bach that "approximately 400 Palestinian athletes have been killed, and the destruction of sports facilities exacerbates the plight of athletes who are already under severe restrictions."

"In its statement, the committee also referenced the recent opinion by the UN’s top court finding Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories illegal," Arab News reported.

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be hosted by the French capital of Paris between July 26 and August 11. Palestine will be represented by eight athletes at the upcoming Summer Olympics, while Israel sends to Paris a national team of 88 athletes.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Tensions flared up in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly.

Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.

In response, Israel launched a military operation in the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas military and political wings and free all hostages. In late November 2023, a temporary humanitarian ceasefire was brokered by Egypt and Qatar, which lasted for a week.

During this time, 110 hostages were released, according to Israel. On December 1, the ceasefire was violated and hostilities resumed, continuing to this day.

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