Crowds gathered at Paris’s main airport to welcome the eight Palestinian athletes who will represent the war-torn Gaza Strip at this year’s Olympic Games.

People with sweets, gifts, roses, and waving Palestinian flags awaited the athletes on Thursday, July 25. According to the Independent, the athletes expressed hope that their presence would serve as a symbol amid the Israel-Hamas war, which has claimed the lives of over 39,000 Palestinians.

Athletes, French supporters, and politicians in the crowd urged France to recognize a Palestinian state, while others expressed their anger over Israel’s presence in the Games, following statements from UN human rights experts that Israeli authorities are responsible for “war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

“France does not recognize Palestine as a country, so I am here to raise the flag,” said Yazan Al Bawab, a 24-year-old Palestinian swimmer born in Saudi Arabia. “They don’t treat us like humans, so when we come to compete, people realize we are equal to them.”

“We are 50 million people without a country,” he added.

The chants of “Free Palestine” that echoed through Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport highlight how conflict and political tension are present at this year’s Olympic Games.

In May, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that he is ready to officially recognize a Palestinian state but that this step should be taken “at the right time.”

The Palestinian ambassador to France, Hala Abou, urged France to officially recognize a Palestinian state and boycott the Israeli Olympic delegation. Abou has previously stated that she has lost 60 relatives in the war.