Over 300 Palestinian sports clubs and civil society organisations advocated for a ban on Israel’s participation in the Paris Olympic Games. The collective forwarded the appeal to the International Olympic Committee. It cited alleged grave violations of international law, apartheid, and genocide in Gaza. The recent killing of the Palestinian Olympic football team coach, Captain Hani al-Masdar, and the destruction of the Palestinian Olympic committee’s office in Gaza fuelled the demand for accountability.
Meanwhile, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has condemned what he referred to as the genocide in Gaza. He maintained Israel’s security justifications as absolutely unacceptable. Turkey recalled its ambassador from Israel recently. Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayecman Safadi urged Israel to permit displaced Palestinians in Gaza to return to their homes.
The survivors of the Bosnian genocide also submitted an open letter to the International Court of Justice, drawing parallels between their own painful experiences and the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. The letter urged speedy implementation of provisional measures to protect civilians, highlighting the need to learn from historical mistakes.
Israel, backed by the United States, the UK, and the European Union, is continuing its bombardment of Gaza, with hundreds of civilian casualties on a daily basis. In an air strike in Rafah, an Israeli-designated safe zone, Israel killed 16 people, including children, who sought shelter in a home. Since October 7th, Israel has killed 24,448 Palestinians and wounded 61,504 others, with a majority of the casualties being women and children. Over 70 percent of homes in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli bombardment, displacing around two million people.
Amid Isreal’s relentless air and ground assaults in Gaza, a shipment of medical supplies brokered by Qatar and France was distributed to Israeli captives and Palestinians in need. However, the head of ambulance operations for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin, Mahmoud Alsaadi, highlighted medical teams’ challenges. Israeli raids and movement restrictions block timely care for various humanitarian cases, including kidney, heart, and cancer patients. Lengthy inspections of PRC ambulances and alleged harassment of medical staff by Israeli army have contributed to severe delays in various humanitarian operations.