Mumbai, Aug. 21 -- The International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) has suspended Israel as a recognised national team and barred its participation in future olympiads owing to the country's ongoing military campaign in Palestine. A resolution to this effect was passed during the IOAA board meeting in Mumbai on August 18, when a majority of members from the 64 countries participating in this edition of the Olympiad voted in favour of suspending recognition for Israel's national team. The matter was put to vote after the association received a letter signed by 536 members of the international scientific community, including professors and past Olympiad attendees from several countries, requesting sanctions over Israel's actions in Palestine. Israeli students will be permitted to participate in future olympiads as individual competitors, competing under the IOAA flag instead of representing their country, clarified IOAA president Aniket Sule. "Israel had pre-registered for this year's event and students from the country were keen to participate, but were unable to do so as they were denied permission by their government," he said. The decision mirrors measures taken by a number of international events, including the Olympic Games, to bar countries from participation due to military conflicts and political considerations. Even the IOAA had suspended recognition for national teams on these grounds in the past, said Sule. "In 2022, we suspended Russia and Belarus for their participation in the invasion of Ukraine. The decision now follows the same path, after careful consideration of the IOAA board of the letter sent by the scientific community," he said. The letter from the scientific community to IOAA emphasised that Science olympiads are intended to inspire students and promote global collaboration. "The Olympic spirit calls for all the participating countries to abide by international law and uphold human rights. We deplore Israel's repeated breaches of these standards," the letter said. The 18th edition of the IOAA is being held at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) in Mumbai. The participants include nearly 300 students, 140 mentors and teachers from 64 countries, including Algeria, Bolivia, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Laos, Moldova, Palestine, Qatar, Sri Lanka, and Turkmenistan, which are participating for the first time. Ghana is an observer country while Pakistan, which had originally indicated participation, withdrew following the Pahalgam attack amid security concerns. The Olympiad began on August 18 with a video speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will conclude on August 21....