Some of Kounta’s messages also compared Israeli athletes taking part in the Olympics to “child killers.”

French athlete Muhammad Abdallah Kounta, a 400-meter specialist and participant in the Paris Olympics, made controversial remarks about Israel and Hamas before but also during the recent games, daily Le Parisien reported.

The SwordOf Salomon X account, which tracks anti-Semitic posts, accused Kounta of “apologizing for Hamas terrorists”, “inciting hatred of Israel” and “trivializing the Holocaust” in posts since deleted. In the posts Kounta also “quoted a sura from the Koran considering Jews and Christians as ‘’enemies’’. He also referred to France, the country he represents, as “SoufFrance” and reposted a publication calling it “a country of degenerate racists”.

He also compared Israeli athletes taking part in the Olympics to ”child killers.”

According to Le Parisien, Regional Councillor Patrick Karam reported Kounta’s messages on the X platform calling them “unacceptable remarks.”

Karam said the French Athletics Federation  is considering making a report to the public prosecutor with a view to criminal proceedings and suspending the athlete.