Gender Row Erupts Over Women's Boxing Match at Paris Olympics

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Beirut: The Paris Olympics have been engulfed in a gender controversy after Hezbollah announced that it had launched rockets at northern Israel on Thursday in retaliation to a deadly Israeli strike in southern Lebanon. The Houthi rebels' first attack came after Israel killed a top commander earlier in the week. The Iran-backed group issued a statement saying they "launched dozens of Katyusha rockets... in response to the Israeli enemy's attack on... (the southern village of Shama) that killed a number of civilians."

The Israeli military responded swiftly, with the air force "striking the Hezbollah launcher from which the projectiles were launched" shortly after the rocket fire.

Earlier on Thursday, the Lebanese health ministry reported that four Syrians were killed in an Israeli strike in the south. This strike was part of the near-daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel since the Gaza war began in October. "The health ministry announces... four Syrian nationals were martyred" in an "Israeli strike" on the southern village of Shama, said the ministry's statement. The toll might rise after DNA tests are completed. The strike also wounded five Lebanese nationals, who were identified by emergency services as farm workers from the same family.

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A photographer contributing to AFP reported that plumes of smoke billowed from the strike site, which heavily damaged two nearby buildings and incinerated a vehicle.

This attack from Hezbollah followed the killing of its top commander, Fuad Shukr, in an Israeli air strike on Tuesday evening. Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, stated that operations would resume on Friday morning and warned that the group would respond to Shukr's killing.

Hours after Shukr's death, a strike in Tehran killed Hezbollah ally and Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the attack, though Israel has not commented on Haniyeh's killing.

Since the beginning of the conflict in October, at least 542 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them fighters, including 114 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, at least 22 soldiers and 25 civilians have been killed, including in the annexed Golan Heights, according to army figures.

Gender Controversy at Paris Olympics

In a parallel development, the Paris Olympics have faced significant scrutiny over gender issues. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed two boxers, who had failed gender eligibility tests at the World Boxing Championships, to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, disqualified last year for high testosterone levels, knocked out her Italian opponent, Angela Carini, in just 46 seconds in the 66 kg women's boxing category. The swift victory has sparked a backlash, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni asserting that the fight was "not on an equal footing." JK Rowling also criticized the event, questioning why it was acceptable for "a man to beat a woman in public for entertainment."

Angela Carini, distraught after her defeat, collapsed in the ring and did not shake hands with Khelif. "I have a big pain in my nose and I said, 'Stop'. It's better to avoid keeping going. My nose started dripping with blood from the first hit," Carini said.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her concerns, saying, "I think athletes who have male genetic characteristics should not be admitted to women's competitions. It's not about discrimination but protecting the right of female athletes to compete on equal terms."

The controversy centers around the IOC's decision to allow Khelif and another boxer, Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting, who also failed gender tests, to participate. Khelif was disqualified hours before her gold medal match at the women's World Championships in Delhi last year due to high testosterone levels. Lin Yu-ting lost her bronze medal at the same event for similar reasons.

Umar Kremlev, President of the Amateur Boxing Association, stated that DNA tests showed both boxers had XY chromosomes, leading to their exclusion. Reem Alsalem, UN special rapporteur on violence against women and girls, commented that Carini and other female athletes should not have been exposed to such physical and psychological violence based on their sex.

The International Boxing Association (IBA), which organized the World Championships, clarified that Khelif initially appealed her disqualification but later withdrew, making the decision binding. Lin Yu-ting did not appeal her disqualification.

The IOC has distanced itself from the IBA over financial transparency issues, including the unclear source of prize money and financial dependency on Gazprom. The boxing events at the Paris Olympics are being organized by the Paris Boxing Unit (PBU), an ad-hoc unit of the IOC's Executive Board.

Mark Adams, IOC spokesman, reiterated that "everyone competing in the women's category is complying with competition eligibility rules. They are women in their passports and it's stated in there that they are female."

Despite the controversy, the Algerian and Taiwanese boxers have received support from their nations. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te praised Yu-ting, while Algeria's Olympic committee condemned the criticism as a "malicious and unethical attack."

JK Rowling's criticism of the IOC's handling of the situation highlights the broader debate on gender and fairness in sports. "A young female boxer has just had everything she's worked and trained for snatched away because you allowed a male to get in the ring with her," Rowling stated, calling the IOC's safeguarding measures a "joke."

The Paris Olympics continue to navigate these complex issues as they strive to maintain the integrity and fairness of the competition.

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