Palestinian athletes are competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024. It is the nation’s eighth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its official debut in 1996.

However, there were concerns about the participation of Palestinian athletes amid the Israel-Hamas war. As per the data provided by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, 69 Palestinian Olympians were killed in Israeli attacks from October 2023 and July 2024.

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This year Palestinian delegation will include eight athletes in Paris, which is higher than the numbers competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Palestinian Authority foreign minister of State said that representing Palestine at the Paris Olympics is already a victory and called them a symbol of resistance.

French consul general in Jerusalem said that Palestine sports has been hit hard by the war and Paris was providing Palestinian sport with €1 million in support in 2024.

Sports infrastructure was also destroyed in Gaza and there are many obstacles to take part in sports in occupied West Bank.

Palestinian athletes will abide by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) rules of neutrality. According to Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

Out of the eighth athletes who are participating this year only one qualified under the official criteria and the other seven received special invitations from the IOC.

Taekwondo athlete Omar Ismail secured his Olympic qualification directly at the Asian qualifying tournament in Tai’an, China and became the first  Palestinian qualified in a combat sport without having to go through a “wild card” playoff process. Ismail, currently ranked 61st in the world under-58kg category.

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Two 800-metre specialists, Layla al-Masri and Mohammed Dwedar, will compete on the track in Paris.

Two Palestinian swimmers competing in Paris are Valerie Tarazi, under the 200-metre medley, and Yazan al Bawwab, under the 100-metre backstroke.

In boxing, the 20-year-old Waseem Abu Sal  will be the first Palestinian boxer to compete in the Olympics.

Fares Badawi will represent the Palestinian territories in Paris in the under-81kg weight class in judo.