The athletes’ personal information was leaked ahead of the Summer Games in Paris
Team Israel at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, July 26, 2024. © Lars Baron/Getty Images
The French Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC) has been tasked with removing the private information of Israeli athletes, which was leaked ahead of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, AFP reported on Saturday, citing police sources.
On Friday, the hacker group Zeus published personal data of the members of the Israeli delegation, including documents, personal photos, addresses, medical information, and information about military service. The hackers claimed they were “revealing what Israeli soldiers are doing at the Olympics,” according to Ynet.
The incident was classified as doxxing – a malicious publication of private data online – and reported to Pharos, a French service for flagging illegally disseminated content. According to Israeli media, the hackers also tried to harass the athletes online while impersonating a French far-right student group.
Israeli officials claimed that the campaign was part of Iran’s “digital terrorism,” with Sports Minister Miki Zohar accusing Tehran of attempting to “intimidate Israeli athletes and carry out psychological terror.”
On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned his French counterpart, Stephane Sejourne, about what he called an Iranian plot to target the Israeli team in Paris.
“There are those who seek to harm the festivities of this joyous event,” Katz said in a letter viewed by Reuters. Katz later stated that Iran was behind a series of arson attacks on the French high-speed rail network that led to the disruption of traffic ahead of the Games, which kicked off on Friday.
Tehran has denied any involvement, with the Iranian mission to the UN dismissing the allegations as “lies and deceit.”
Over 18,000 French troops have been deployed in addition to regular police to ensure safety during the Olympics. The authorities have provided enhanced 24-hour security to the Israeli delegation.