Iran has strongly rejected allegations of a plot to target Israeli athletes and tourists during the Paris Olympic Games. 

“Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups. Lies and deceit cannot switch the roles of the plaintiff and the accused,” Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations said in a brief statement in response to a report published by Reuters news agency.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz had warned his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne of attempts to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics.

The Israeli allegation comes as a global campaign has been launched to ban the regime’s representatives from participating in the Games, citing the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip which has killed at least 39,175 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Pro-Palestine activists have initiated the hashtag #BanIsraelFromParisOlympics on social media to pressure organizers to prevent Israeli athletes from participating in the Games, which are scheduled to begin on July 26.

The campaigners argue that “celebrating the human values of the Olympics contradicts Israel’s oppressive and genocidal practices against the Palestinians.”

They questioned, “How do we celebrate human values while human rights are being brutally violated?,” adding, “Olympics without Israel is the demand of everyone who believes in justice and humanity.”

Moreover, demonstrations have taken place in European countries, including France and Switzerland, in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters, demanding the exclusion of Israeli sports teams from the Paris Olympics.

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