French police have opened an investigation into death threats received by three Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games, Paris' prosecutor's office has said.
Officers were investigating the release of athletes' personal data on social networks on Friday and seeking to have it removed, prosecutors said in a statement.
On Thursday, Israel's National Cyber Directorate said that Iranian hackers were creating social media channels to publish personal information about members of the Israeli delegation and send them threatening messages.
On the same day, Israel's foreign minister warned his French counterpart of a potential Iranian-backed plot to target Israeli athletes and tourists during the Paris Olympic Games.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations 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."
Prosecutors are also investigating possible antisemitic hate crimes during an Israel-Paraguay football match at the Olympics on Saturday in Paris.
The match at the Paris Saint Germain stadium saw fans “dressed in black, masked and carrying Palestinian flags” and one of them “made gestures of an antisemitic nature”, a separate statement said.
An AFP reporter at the stadium said about 50 “ultra” fans sang chants in French against Israel and about the Gaza war.
The Israeli anthem was also booed by part of the crowd while some Israeli fans in the stadium chanted back: “Free the hostages”.
Israeli athletes at the Games are being escorted to and from events by elite tactical units and given 24-hour protection throughout the Olympics, officials say. Israel's internal security service, Shin Bet, is helping with security.
“Total support for the measures that are being taken by the French authorities,” an Israeli diplomatic source said.
“This sends an important message to individuals and organisations attempting to threaten athletes,” the source added.
