DPA
Paris
Palestine’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) has called for Israel to be immediately excluded from the upcoming Paris Games in connection with the Gaza war.
The NOC published a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on social media late Monday in which they accuse Israel of "systematic and ongoing violations of the Olympic Charter” by Israeli sports bodies and their members.
The NOC said that Israel is violating the Olympic Truce by bombing targets in Gaza and that 400 Palestinian athletes have died since the start of hostilities in October.
The letter is also addressed to football’s governing body FIFA, and its president Gianni Infantino. Israel’s men’s team is part of the Olympic tournament.
Bach has previously said that Israel’s participation at the Paris Games which open on Friday is not in danger. French authorities have said that Israel’s delegation is protected around the clock.
Palestine’s FA had called for Israel’s exclusion at the recent FIFA congress, with a decision on the matter postponed.
The Gaza war began on October 7. Tens of thousands of civilians have now been killed in Gaza, and the humanitarian situation in the region is dire.