Palestinian takes bronze medal in European Taekwondo competition

A Palestinian athlete has taken the bronze medal in a European Taekwondo competition in the Turkish capital Istanbul.

The Palestinian Olympic Committee said on Tuesday that Diaa Khaled competed in the under-63kg weight category, defeating two Turkish fighters and an Azerbaijani national, The New Arab's Arabic sister service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

Nour Abuhatab and Abdallah Alfarra, who is from Gaza, competed in the under-68kg category.

The Palestinian delegation participating in the competition in Turkey was headed by Ayman Abuhatab, a member of the board of the Palestine Taekwondo Federation.

Federation president Bashar Abdul Jawad congratulated Khaled on winning his bronze medal, emphasising the importance of participating in international tournaments to raise players' rankings and preparing them for official championships.

The sporting success comes as Israeli forces continue to wage a brutal war against the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military campaign has so far killed at least 36,096 people - 70 percent of whom were women and children.

The International Court of Justice last week ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, a southern Gazan city that borders Egypt.

But Israel has ignored the order, continuing to carry out attacks in the area. A strike on Sunday at a displacement camp in Rafah killed at least 45 people, including women and children.