France's cybercrime bureau was called in on Saturday to recover sensitive personal data of Israeli athletes participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics that was leaked and posted on social media on Friday, police sources said.
The personal information published on Telegram included blood test results or login data such as usernames and passwords for various services.
Other data related to Israeli athletes who were in or still in military service was also leaked illegally on social media networks, including Telegram, on Thursday.
The Pharos platform, which is concerned with reporting illegal content on the Internet, informed the Cybercrime Bureau, with the aim of removing the content from the networks in question, according to sources close to the case.
Israel had previously expressed its concern on Thursday about “potential terrorist threats” targeting its athletes and tourists, in a letter it sent to the French government.
“There are those who are trying to undermine the sanctity of this happy event,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a letter to his French counterpart, a copy of which was received by the media.
“We are currently assessing the potential threats posed by terrorist groups from Iran and other terrorist organizations that aim to carry out terrorist attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympic Games,” he added.
French authorities have mobilized exceptional security resources, with tens of thousands of security forces and soldiers deployed to ensure the safety of the Games, which began on Friday and will conclude on August 11.
Israel has accused Iran of practicing "digital terrorism" aimed at "sowing fear" among the Israeli Olympic delegation in Paris.
On Tuesday, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and French President Emmanuel Macron rejected a Palestinian request to ban Israel from the Olympic Games due to the war in Gaza.
In a letter to the International Olympic Committee, the Palestinian Olympic Committee requested a ban on Israel, saying that the bombing of the besieged Gaza Strip constitutes a violation of the Olympic truce.
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