Adedokun Waliyu 
French authorities arrested six people suspected of flying a Palestinian flag from the Eiffel Tower without permission.
Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion France claimed responsibility for hanging the large flag from the tower’s first floor on Friday afternoon.
A representative of the group said the action was meant to send a “message of support” to Palestinians. The group accused Israel of carrying out “massacres” in Gaza and committing environmental destruction, including uprooting olive trees on Palestinian land.
The demonstration was organised to coincide with Nakba Day, which commemorates the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.
Earlier in September, both Israeli and Palestinian flags, along with peace symbols such as a dove and olive branch, were projected onto the Eiffel Tower ahead of France’s recognition of the Palestinian state.
In October 2023, after Hamas launched attacks on Israel that led to the Gaza war, the Eiffel Tower was illuminated with the Israeli flag.
According to official Israeli figures compiled by AFP, Hamas’s October 2023 attack killed 1,221 people, most of them civilians.
In response, Israeli military operations in Gaza have reportedly killed more than 72,700 people, mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.
Although a ceasefire was reached in October, violence has continued in Gaza, with both Israel and Hamas accusing each other of violating the truce.
