The Netherlands has joined Ireland in saying it will not take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest if Israel participates in the event due to the scale of the suffering in the Gaza Strip, Dutch broadcaster AvroTros says.

A day earlier, Irish broadcaster RTE said Israel's participation was "unconscionable" given the "ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza".

Recent editions of Eurovision have been overshadowed by protests at Israel's inclusion over its continuing military assault on the Palestinian enclave, which followed the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas militants.

AvroTros said it had also taken into account the high number of journalists that have died in the Gaza Strip in deciding to boycott the 2026 contest, which was watched by 166 million people on televisio

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