Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef condemned the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and said the sporting world needs to speak up.

“When it comes to sports, I think there should be no space in sporting events for those who do not share our values,” he told POLITICO without naming Israel directly, in response to a question as to whether the country should face sporting sanctions over the Gaza war. “Sport is a tool that we use to promote peace, through which we promote human rights.”

“On the other hand, the sport movement is autonomous, and they make their own decisions,” Micallef added. “But we have a duty and we have a responsibility to speak about these issues and to make our feelings known.”

Israel launched its military assault on Gaza after the Hamas militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border raid, which killed 1,200 Israelis and other nationalities. More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli offensive, with hundreds of thousands more facing famine and disease and entire cities, from Khan Yunis to Rafah, reduced to rubble.

The sporting world has seen repeated calls to boycott Israel’s participation in international competitions, from the Olympics to the World Cup, although such proposals have so far largely been rejected.

Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has also been lambasted, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on May 19 calling for the country to be excluded from such events. “We cannot allow double standards, not even in culture,” he said.