Mountaineers unfurl Palestinian flag above Chamonix during Climbing World Cup

On Sunday 12 July a group of anonymous mountaineers climbed the peaks overlooking Chamonix to hang, between the Grand Charmoz and the Grépon, a 540m² (30m x 18m) Palestinian flag. The flag was timed to be visibile during the final day of the Chamonix World Cup which was attended by an estimated 20,000 people, and was removed later that night.

In its press release, the collective explained "On the most inaccessible ridges of the massif, at 3,500m altitude, and visible from all over town — especially from Place du Mont-Blanc, where the competition is taking place — this giant flag is meant to be a symbol of hope, solidarity, struggle, and freedom!"

According to the collective, the flag "is also meant to convey that the climbing and mountaineering community expects its federation, World Climbing (formerly IFSC), as well as the French climbing federation (FFME), to take a firm and just stand regarding the crimes committed by Israel in Palestine, Lebanon, and Iran, and to suspend the Israeli federation (ILCA)."

On 23 July 2026, World Climbing will hold an extraordinary general assembly during which national climbing federations from around the world will be called upon to vote on a possible suspension of Israeli Climbing Federation.

The collective stated "This vote follows a request from the Palestine Climbing Association (PCA) and months of mobilization by climbers, athletes, and national federations worldwide, who — backed by evidence — have shown that the ILCA has acted in ways incompatible with World Climbing's statutes and the fundamental principles of fair competition, while also committing violations of international law."