French police have opened an investigation into death threats received by three Israeli athletes at the Paris Olympic Games, as well as possible antisemitic hate crimes during a football match, the Paris’ prosecutors office said.
The death threats were reported by interior minister Gérald Darmanin and the investigation will be led by the national anti-online hate body.
Last week, Israel’s foreign minister warned his French counterpart of an alleged Iranian-backed plot to target Israeli athletes and tourists during the Paris Olympic Games.
The Iranian mission to the UN said in a statement on Thursday: “Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups; lies and deceit cannot switch the roles of the plaintiff and the accused.”
Israeli athletes at the Games are being escorted to and from events by elite tactical units and given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics, according to officials. Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, is helping with security.
Elsewhere prosecutors said they were probing possible antisemitic hate crimes during an Israel-Paraguay football match on Saturday in Paris, which featured chants and banners about the Gaza war.
The match at the Paris Saint Germain stadium saw fans “dressed in black, masked and carrying Palestinian flags unfurl a banner saying ‘Genocide Olympics’” and one of them “made gestures of an antisemitic nature”, a separate statement said.