Amnesty International Projects “Stop Genocide in Gaza” Onto Paris Olympic Flame Basin

Amnesty International projected the message "Stop Genocide in Gaza" onto the Paris Olympic flame basin on Saturday evening, July 26, as the slogan appeared shortly after 10:30 p.m. on the ball of the floating basin in Paris under the gaze of spectators and officials.

Anne Savinel-Barras, president of Amnesty International France, said in a press release that "The world can no longer simply observe" the situation in Gaza, and the NGO urged France to "turn words into action."

Al Jazeera

The NGO insisted that "Israel continues to use famine as a method of warfare, which constitutes a war crime," and it called for the "genocide taking place in Gaza must end immediately."

Franceinfo reported that the projection was made by laser from a building on Rue de Rivoli, and it placed the action on the day of the first anniversary of the Paris 2024 Olympics opening.

In the same reporting, Franceinfo said Israel conducted another airdrop of humanitarian aid on Saturday and announced a daily "tactical pause" for humanitarian purposes on Sunday.

A debate over terminology in France intensified after a FranceInfo journalist interrupted Danièle Obono, LFI deputy for Paris, during discussion of the Gaza massacre and said, "We cannot talk about genocide because it is not recognized by the international community."

Anadolu Ajansı reported that Obono replied that "It is not me who talks about genocide; it is Omer Bartov" and added, "They are all the experts on the question of genocide and Holocaust specialists."

Amnesty International

Anadolu Ajansı also said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International and former UN special rapporteur, reacted on X that "Madame Obono has every right to use the word 'genocide' when talking about Israel's crimes in Gaza."

The Anadolu Ajansı account tied the dispute to a bill aimed at penalizing anti-Zionism, announced by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, and said the bill would be placed on Parliament's agenda "as early as April."

It further described that at the end of January, a National Assembly Law Committee bill sought to broaden repression by prohibiting certain historical comparisons and banning slogans used during pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including 'From the River to the Sea' ('From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free').

As the 2026 World Cup competitions kick off, the Palestinian Information Center described Gaza’s football reality as one where "the repercussions of war, destruction, and displacement overshadow the atmosphere of football excitement."

“France: a journalist challenges the use of the term 'genocide' by Danièle Obono concerning the Gaza massacre - 'Ms”

Anadolu Ajansı

Captain Mustafa Nofal, a soccer coach in Gaza, told the Palestinian Information Center that "the majority of families are now preoccupied with securing the basic needs of food, water, and daily necessities," making following the tournament or subscribing to sports channels a secondary matter.

The Palestinian Information Center said the sports sector has been hit through "the destruction of sports facilities" and the "martyrdom and injury of a large number of athletes and players," while it also cited rising costs and repeated power and communications outages.

In a separate account, Mondoweiss described Palestinians in Gaza gathering across the Strip for specially prepared screenings to watch the World Cup match between Egypt and Belgium, with the match kicking off at 10 p.m. local time.

Mondoweiss quoted Raed Azoum, a displaced resident from Rafah who attended a public screening, saying, "This is a festival, not a match," and it added that he said, "Personally, I felt as if the war had ended."