Days before Olympics, French police arrest man for attacking cab driver in name of Hamas

French police arrested a man today on terrorism charges who is accused of trying to murder a taxi driver with a knife while expressing support for the Hamas terror group, a source at the terrorism prosecutor’s office says.

France is on its highest state of security as it gears up to host millions of visitors, athletes and world leaders during the Paris Olympic Summer Games, kicking off on July 26.

The man, already known by authorities as someone who had been radicalized, stopped a taxi on Tuesday night while brandishing a gun in the city of Le Mans, and asked to be taken to an isolated area near Ferte-Bernard. He then forced the driver out of the car, bound him and attacked his neck with the blade, the source says.

The driver managed to escape to a local resident’s home, where he was eventually treated by emergency services. The assailant was arrested early this morning in Yvelines, west of Paris, the source says.

He is being investigated on terrorism, attempted murder and kidnapping charges, the source says.

The Olympics opening ceremony is slated for one week from today, and delegations and athletes will begin arriving early next week. Israel has said that it has doubled its security budget for the games this year amid a high threat alert linked to the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.