Euro-Mediterranean: International federations do not punish Israel despite the killing of 664 athletes and the destruction of sports in Gaza.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor issued a statement on Monday, indicating that international and continental sports federations continue to ignore the suspension of Israel's membership, despite nearly 22 months having passed since the aggression that led to the destruction of sports in the Gaza Strip and the martyrdom of 664 athletes.

The monitor considered this behavior a blatant violation of the values and principles that the federations claim to adhere to, noting that this reflects selective application and a double standard in dealing with countries and their representatives in sports competitions.

The monitor confirmed that Israel continues its violations against Palestinian sports, as approximately 664 athletes have been martyred since October 7, 2023, averaging nearly one athlete martyr every day, reflecting the scale of the catastrophe facing sports in Gaza.

The monitor clarified that last July witnessed the martyrdom of 40 athletes and scouts due to Israeli targeting, noting that data up to August 8 indicated that 662 athletes had been martyred in Gaza, including 321 affiliated with the Palestinian Football Association.

The monitor pointed out that the number of sports facilities destroyed by the occupation army since the onset of the aggression has reached about 264 facilities, including 184 total destructions and 81 partial destructions, leading to a complete halt of sports activities in the sector.

The monitor condemned the international sports federations' disregard for their ethical commitments, considering this a breach of their responsibilities, and called for immediate action to suspend Israel's membership in all sports activities.

The monitor added that some Israeli athletes involved in serious violations against Palestinians make the normalization of sports federations with Israel an unprecedented moral failure.

It also noted that about 30 athletes from the Israeli delegation at the Paris 2024 Olympics have served in the Israeli army or have shown public support for the aggression against Gaza.

The monitor urged sports federations to form independent committees to document the destruction inflicted on sports in Gaza and encouraged them to take a decisive stance against Israeli violations.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, and destruction, resulting in the deaths of more than 61,000 Palestinians and injuries to over 153,000, in addition to hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.