Israel’s war on Gaza live: ‘Endless massacre’ in Gaza as Israel kills 17 people | News

A small ceremony was held on Sunday to bid farewell to the official Palestinian delegation to the Paris Olympic Games and also to commemorate the many Palestinian athletes who will not be present.

Jibril Rajoub, chairman of the Palestinian Olympic Committee, said 400 athletes, coaches and sports officials have been killed in Gaza since October.

“With this participation we want to draw attention to the suffering of the Palestinian people and the unprecedented killing in the Gaza Strip,” said Rajoub.

“We want this participation to be a message from the Palestinians to the world that it is time for them to be free in their homeland,” he added.

Eight athletes will represent Palestine this year and compete in the disciplines of athletics, swimming, archery, taekwondo, judo and boxing.

The athletes will represent Palestine in a “very dark moment in our history,” Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said in Ramallah on Sunday.

“You are not just athletes, you are also… symbols of Palestinian resistance,” Aghabekian added.