Eight Palestinian athletes participating in the Paris Olympics are set to serve as symbols of 'resistance' amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, according to a Palestinian minister who spoke on Sunday as the official delegation departed from the occupied West Bank.
This marks the eighth occasion since 1996 that Palestinian athletes have competed in the Olympics. However, Jibril Rajoub, head of the Olympic committee, noted that the athletes have never experienced such intense scrutiny. The athletes are gearing up for the commencement of the Paris Games on July 26, a period described by Palestinian Authority Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian Shahin as a 'very dark moment in our history.'
'You are not just athletes, you are also... symbols of Palestinian resistance,' Aghabekian emphasized. In response to the conflict, French organizers have bolstered security measures in Paris. Nonetheless, Rajoub expressed his hope that this participation would convey a message from the Palestinians to the world, signaling that it is time for them to be free in their homeland.
'Through this participation, we aim to highlight the suffering of the Palestinian people and the unparalleled violence occurring in Gaza,' Rajoub added. He also mentioned that since the war began on October 7, following Hamas' attack on Israel, 400 athletes, coaches, and sports officials in Gaza have been killed or injured. The attacks in southern Israel have led to the deaths of 1,195 individuals, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Meanwhile, Israel's military operations have resulted in at least 38,584 fatalities in Gaza, mostly civilians.
Majed Abu Marahil, a long-distance runner who became the first Palestinian to compete in the Olympics at Atlanta in 1996, passed away in June. Officials stated that he succumbed to kidney failure, with Gaza's hospitals being too devastated by the conflict to provide necessary treatment. Rajoub considers the athletes' journey to Paris 'already a victory.'
The eight athletes will compete in various disciplines including athletics, swimming, archery, taekwondo, judo, and boxing. One athlete secured a spot through conventional qualifying, while the remaining seven received special invitations. Swimmer Valerie Tarazi, 24, who holds both US and Palestinian citizenship and won titles at the Arab Games in Algeria last year, expressed her deep concern for the people of Gaza. Tarazi, who has relatives in Gaza and communicates with them almost daily, described representing Palestine at Paris as 'a very important thing,' especially given the current lack of training facilities.
