Peace in peril: Israel accused of violating Olympic Truce ahead of Paris 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) — As Israel's war in Gaza continues to claim Palestinian lives, questions are being raised about whether its participation in the Paris 2024 Games violates the Olympic Truce, a long-standing tradition, and UN resolution aimed at fostering peace during the world's biggest sporting event.

The Olympic Truce, originating from ancient Greek practice and endorsed by the UN, calls for a cessation of hostilities globally, seven days before the Games commence and lasting until seven days after the Paralympic Games' conclusion.

Experts, however, believe Israel's ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip, where the death toll is now close to 40,000, constitutes a breach of the resolution.

"Israel has breached the Olympic Truce by bombing Gaza on 19th July within hours when the Olympic Truce commenced and it has been bombing it ever since," said Katarina Pijetlovic, head of the Palestine Football Association's legal department.

With the current Olympic Truce period having started on July 19 and set to remain until Sept. 15, Pijetlovic told Anadolu that the UN Resolution on the Paris Olympics was clear about its framework.

- Israel's violation of truce

The Olympic Truce dates back to the eighth century BC, when warring parties in ancient Greece agreed to halt fighting to provide safe passage for Olympic athletes.

It was revived by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1992, calling upon all nations to observe the Truce, with the UN General Assembly adopting a related resolution ahead of each subsequent edition of the Summer and Winter Games, which are held at two-year intervals.

The Palestine Olympic Committee and Palestinian Football Association have accused Israel of violating the resolution adopted late last year, demanding on Monday that IOC President Thomas Bach and FIFA President Gianni Infantino ban the country from the Paris Olympics.

Israel violated the Truce for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, the Palestinian bodies asserted, pointing to Israel's continued bombardment and ground attacks that have taken place even after the 59-day window commenced last Friday.

About 400 Palestinian athletes have been killed in Gaza since Israel's offensive began on Oct. 7 last year, according to the Palestine Olympic Committee, which has complained that Palestinian athletes are denied safe passage and "suffered significantly due to the ongoing conflict."

The IOC has said it would not bar Israel from the 2024 Games, claiming political neutrality on the issue.

However, according to sports journalist Leyla Hamed, Tel Aviv has blatantly violated the Truce, noting that dozens of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks that have also targeted other countries in the region since it began.

"This year's Olympic Truce is effective from 19th July until 15th September 2024. During this time, no inter-state aggressions or attacks on athletes should happen as asked by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations," she told Anadolu.

"Israel has violated this Truce within the first 24 hours by continuing its bombing on Gaza, resulting in the killing of at least 70 Palestinians, and its recent attacks on Lebanon and Yemen," she said.

- Double standards

Experts also compared the IOC's stance towards Israel to that towards Russia.

Along with its ally Belarus, Russia has been excluded from the Olympics and Paralympics over the ongoing war in Ukraine that began in February 2022, marking the third time that Moscow has been found in breach of the Truce.

"One of the main reasons mentioned by the IOC to expel Russia from international sport was its violation of the Olympic Truce days after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics started," said Hamed, arguing: "The same standard should be applied to Israel."

According to legal expert Pijetlovic, the comparison with Russia is inevitable as that country was instantly suspended by the IOC for reasons based heavily on the breach of the Olympic Truce after the Winter Olympics of 2022.

"The double standards are glaring," she said.

Pijetlovic highlighted how the IOC displayed the utmost concern for Ukrainian athletes who had five different countries from which to exit their country amid the conflict and were offered training, financial, and practical support in various European nations.

"The fact that 400 Palestinian athletes had been killed and that athletes from Gaza do not have safe passage and cannot exit does not seem to concern anyone," she said

Pointing out that Israeli athletes, clubs, and sports associations were all advertising and expressing support for the Israeli military as it commits war crimes, she underlined that this goes against "the mission of the IOC that deems sport as a vehicle for peace with humanitarian objectives."

Russian and Belarussian competitors are only allowed to compete in the Olympics as individual neutral athletes and only if they are not part of the army, or if they have not expressed support for the war, including on social media, she added.

"It is hard to find an Israeli athlete that didn't pose in IDF (Israeli military) uniform, posted photos with soldiers, or showed support for Israeli government war crimes. The IOC is well aware that their Olympic Charter is being breached by Israeli athletes and teams," said Pijetlovic.

- Demands Israel's suspension

Activists have been calling for Israel's suspension from the Paris Olympics due to its violation of the Truce, demands that have been rejected by both the IOC and host country France.

"The proper response to the violation of the Olympic Truce would be for the International Olympic Committee to immediately suspend Israel," Pijetlovic asserted.

A major consideration should be that almost all Israeli athletes have served in the country's army and are reservists, she said, adding that some have publicly called for the "annihilation of Gaza, while others post photos of signed bombs with the caption 'from me to you with pleasure'."

"These bombs are destined for Gaza, where they kill and maim small children, among other civilians, destroy family homes, and bring untold sorrow," she said, adding that these were not Olympic values that the IOC should be promoting.

"They (IOC) should not be providing a platform for Israel to sport-wash a genocide, illegal occupation, and apartheid," said Pijetlovic.

For her part, Hamed called for an intervention by the UN on the matter.

"The UN must intervene and call on the International Olympic Committee to act in line with its statutes and promote respect for international human rights law by suspending Israel from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games for breaking the Olympic Truce and for multiple breaches of UN Conventions and Resolutions," she said.