Palestinian athletes greeted with cheers and gifts at Paris Olympics

Palestinian Olympic athletes received a warm welcome in Paris on Thursday as they arrived to represent Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories on the global stage.

The athletes were greeted with cheers, Palestinian flags, and gifts of food and roses at the main Paris airport, symbolizing their resilience amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which has claimed over 39,000 Palestinian lives.

Supporters, including French citizens and politicians, used the occasion to urge the European nation to recognize a Palestinian state and voiced their disapproval of Israel's participation in the Games, citing allegations of war crimes by Israeli authorities as reported by U.N.-backed human rights experts.

The same report also accused Palestinian militants of committing war crimes in the early months of the Gaza war, which began following Hamas's deadly attacks on Israel on October 7. Israel has denied these allegations.

Yazan Al-Bawwab, a 24-year-old Palestinian swimmer born in Saudi Arabia, expressed his desire to raise the Palestinian flag and highlight the humanity of Palestinians through sports, emphasizing the message of equality and recognition on the international stage.