Hamas hails Libyan national team’s refusal to play against Israel

Hamas Sports Department hailed the Libyan national fencing team for refusing to play against the Israeli team and for withdrawing from the World Fencing Championship in Dubai.

The department expressed, in a press statement on Tuesday, its gratitude for the Libyan support for Palestinians by refusing to face the Israeli team, especially that they reached a World Cup final, confirming that Libya and Palestine have always maintained a strong relationship.

“Facing Israeli players is considered a breach of the agreed-upon Palestinian and Arab boycott standards and also a contribution to whitewashing the crimes of the Israeli occupation,” the department added. 

Several Arab athletes have refused to play against Israeli players in a bid to show the true image of the occupation and draw attention to the Palestinian people’s suffering, which is an effective means to resist normalization.