Fake Hamas Olympics threat video linked to 'Russian disinformation', says Microsoft

A video circulating on social media showing a man impersonating a Hamas fighter and making threatening attacks at the Paris Olympics reportedly originated from a Russian-linked disinformation network, Microsoft experts said.

The video, posted by an account called 'Hamas Fighter' on Sunday,  showed a man wearing black combat fatigues and a black and white keffiyeh over his face delivering a message to "the people of France and the French President Macron".

The Hamas fighter account, which joined X in February, was suspended shortly after the video was widely shared.

"Rivers of blood will flow through the streets of Paris," the man warns, after accusing France's people and government of supporting Israel's killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

"This day is approaching, God willing. God is the greatest," the man says, before lifting a mannequin's head splattered in fake blood.

Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq issued a statement on Telegram — the group's usual medium for disseminating statements and videos — denying that the video was from the group.

Microsoft researchers who spoke to NBC News said the video likely came from a group called Storm-1516 — a group connected to Russia's notorious Internet Research Agency troll farm.

"This operation closely aligns with tactics, techniques and procedures observed in previous Storm-1516 operations, including a previous video that similarly pretended to be Hamas," Microsoft said in a statement.

The video was also shared widely by pro-Russian social media accounts.

In June, Microsoft's threat analysis centre said that Russia was attempting to create fear about the Paris Olympics to deter spectators from attending.

A similar Arabic-language video linked to Storm-1516 posted in October showed several men wearing masks thanking Ukrainian President Zelensky for allegedly sending military equipment — a claim Russian-linked disinformation networks have amplified.

Prior to Microsoft's statement on Tuesday, many Arabic speakers on social media were quick to point out irregularities in the purported Hamas member's speech. 

Many highlighted that the man's pronunciation was not that of a native speaker — including his saying "Allaha Akbar" near the end of the speech.

"Investigating signs of a fake video: 1-Do Palestinians say "djim" for "jim"? 2-Do they say "Allaha akbar" For "Allahu Akbar"or "Allahw Akbar"?" wrote Lebanese-American mathematical statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

The video, which threatens attacks outside of historical Palestine, does not fall in line with Hamas' long-standing policy of only carrying out operations within historical Palestine.

The use of a black and white keffiyeh was also non-standard for the Islamist group Hamas, whose spokesman Abu Obeida wears a red and white version of the traditional Arab scarf and a green headband.

Hamas, whose fighters are often seen in plain black face masks or red or green keffiyehs, is thought to prefer these colours to distinguish themselves from the secular Fatah movement.

Earlier on in Israel's war on Gaza, Israel has also been accused of forging voice recordings purportedly of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters. Israel has used the recordings, usually claimed to be intercepted phone calls, in attempts to justify airstrikes and blame Palestinian groups for civilian casualties.