Waseem Abu Sal, who received a wildcard for the Olympics boxing, will debut as the first Palestinian boxer to compete in the Olympic Games and was one of two flag-bearers for the Palestinian delegation at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony.

With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) outlining strict rules on political statements, the 20-year-old boxer will now wait to see if the IOC acts on 

According to Rule 40 of the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Charter, “all competitors, team officials and other team personnel at the Olympic Games shall enjoy freedom of expression” but simultaneously, Rule 50 states that “no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

This year's Olympic Games, which are no stranger to political protest and expression, have been the subject of extensive dissonance, disputes, and controversies with particular emphasis on the fallout of the Kremlin's ongoing attempt to annex Ukraine and Israel's retaliatory military campaign on the Hamas-run Gaza.

While 15 Russian citizens will be participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games but have been required to do so as neutrals are forbidden from representing the Russian flag for the Kremlin's violation of the Olympic Charter, the same rules have not been applied to Israeli athletes.

The decision resulted in the Global Summit for Palestine threatening to boycott the Olympics back at the end of May unless Israel was banned before the Palestine Olympic Committee then accused the IOC of "double standards" on Friday.

For Waseem Abu Sal, he decided to wear the shirt because "it represents the current picture in Palestine". 

"The children who are martyred and die under the rubble, children whose parents are martyred and are left alone without food or water" said Abu Sal.

"It's a message of peace. It's a message to attract attention," he said. "This is anti-war, against killing. This abides with the Olympic Charter."

According to the Palestine Olympic Committee chief, Jibril Rajoub, the shirt had been checked with the local organising committee who, he says, approved it. 

"We want to expose the suffering of our people, their legal, legitimate ambitions, through the athletes, through the Games, according to the Olympic Charter," said Rajoub.

Nearly 40,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign including around 400 Palestinian athletes according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.

Waseem Abu Sal, who usually lives in the West Bank, has been unable to train with his coach Ahmed Harara as Harara is a Gazan unable to travel due to Israeli restrictions.