France will deploy elite police officers throughout the Olympic Games due to security concerns as the opening ceremony commences on Friday. 

“There are those who seek to undermine the celebratory nature of this joyous event,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote in a letter to his French counterpart. 

“We currently have assessments regarding the potential threat posed by Iranian terrorist proxies and other terrorist organizations who aim to carry out attacks against members of the Israeli delegation and Israeli tourists during the Olympics,” Katz added. 

European authorities have remained on high alert as the Olympics bring an influx of visitors, particularly with the presence of Israel. Certain terrorist and radical groups seek to punish the country for its actions in the Gaza Strip. 

Tensions remain so high that a video of a fake Palestinian threat of attacks on France circulated on social media before a security source could inform the AFP that the video likely originated from “a Russian operation under a ‘false flag,’” citing “several clues” that undermine the video’s authenticity. 

French authorities have assigned approximately 1,000 elite anti-terrorist officers to provide a “ring of steel” for the Israeli team amidst anti-Israel protests, Reuters reported. Officials have expressed satisfaction that the first competition involving Israeli athletes, a soccer match between Israel and Mali on Wednesday, passed a security test. 

Israel’s Shin Bet security agency will collaborate with the French police to ensure the safety of their athletes and the Games, but other criminal threats remain significant concerns as the games commence. 

Belgian police apprehended seven individuals on Thursday suspected of terrorism, with authorities reporting that the individuals may have participated in “the activities of a terrorist group,” including financing and preparing for an attack. 

Police explained that “the specific targets of the attack had not yet been determined,” but the threat had escalated to a level requiring police raids on 14 homes across Belgium, according to German outlet DW. 

The timing of the raids — just one day before the Games begin — sparked questions regarding potential links between the attack and the competition, but Belgian and French authorities declined to comment on any such connections. 

The preparation and focus on more international tensions have also allowed other crimes to occur before the Games commence. French prosecutors initiated an inquiry earlier this week after an Australian woman reported that five men allegedly gang-raped her. 

An investigative source told The Telegraph that the woman was wandering around the northern Pigalle district in Paris over the weekend, appearing distressed and disoriented. She then reportedly confronted one of her alleged attackers in a kebab shop, but he fled before police arrived. 

CCTV footage captured the latter confrontation, but Paris prosecutors would not comment on the video while confirming a gang-rape investigation. No arrests have been made, nor have police released any descriptions of the alleged attackers.