Palestine Marathon returns to Bethlehem after Gaza war suspension

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Palestine Marathon returns to Bethlehem after Gaza war suspension

2026-05-09 20:45 Last Updated At：05-11 14:43

The 10th Palestine International Marathon began on Friday in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, with a parallel race held in the Gaza Strip, after being suspended by Israel's war on the Strip.

Thousands of Palestinian and international runners took part in the event which was held to send a message of unity, strength, and determination in face of the current situation.

"I am a volleyball player, and I took part in this marathon. No athlete should miss this event because it delivers a message of determination and resilience from the people, that despite all the circumstances, they continue practicing sports and expressing their freedom steadfastly," said Abdullah al-Arqan, a runner.

"The Palestine Sports Marathon is an annual event, but because of the war on Gaza, we have been separated from it for three years. The launch from Gaza simultaneously with the launch from Bethlehem unites the two parts of the homeland and sends a message to the world that Palestinians have the right to live in freedom and dignity," said Donia Ismail from the Palestinian Ministry of Women's Affairs.

Runner Khalil al-Tarabin said that despite the misfortune he has suffered, he competed with full determination.

"Today, winning means everything to me. Despite the blockade, the famine, and losing my father and four brothers in the war, I participated with all my strength," he said.

The marathon was organized by the Palestinian Olympic Committee in partnership with the Egyptian Committee for Gaza Relief and other local partners.

Organizers said more than 13,000 runners took part across all events, including 2,523 participants in Gaza and around 1,000 international runners from 75 countries and regions.

Int'l buyers seek to strengthen ties with Chinese tech companies at 9th China-Eurasia Expo

International purchasers sought to strengthen business ties with Chinese tech companies at a partnership-building event held Friday on the sidelines of the 9th China-Eurasia Expo, which runs from June 25 to 29 in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The expo has attracted participants from 49 countries, regions and international organizations from Asia, Europe and other continents, with the attendance of over 3,000 Chinese and international enterprises .

More than 100 high-tech companies from various fields, such as intelligent manufacturing, energy and chemical industry, are showcasing their latest products.

Officials said the expo highlights innovation, focusing on emerging sectors such as AI, digital economy, low-altitude economy, and bio-manufacturing.

"[China has] very high-level developed technologies. The possibility of China to make a lot of very good-quality goods in a very short period of time is a very good skill in business," said Mikhail Derevyanko, deputy general director of Russia's Avangard Special Economic Zone (SEZ), said at the partnership-building event.

"We have good future partnership with China's companies, because a lot of technologies from China became very popular," said Kanat Alin, an advisor to the chairman of the management board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Chinese companies said at the expo that they are receiving increasing orders for their tech products from countries across the world.

"The smart bicycles we are selling have a built-in AI system that can calculate and distribute power output to extend driving range. We receive more orders from Russia, Spain and other European countries. Usually, we ship the bicycles in two containers at a time, with more than 200 units per container," said Xu Huazeng, an exhibitor.