German authorities have detained three suspected members of Hamas on charges of planning terror attacks in the European nation. The three men were detained Wednesday in Berlin during a police operation targeting a weapons handover, according to information from security sources obtained by the Der Spiegel newspaper.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General confirmed the provisional arrest of three suspects identified as Abed Al G., a 36-year-old German citizen of Lebanese descent; Wael F. M., a 43-year-old man born in Lebanon whose nationality is unclear; and Ahmad I., a 44-year-old German national originally from Syria.
All three men are accused of being members of Hamas, which has long been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the European Union as well as the U.S. and Israel, and of preparing serious acts of violence endangering the state, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Investigators allege the suspects were tasked by Hamas leaders with acquiring firearms and ammunition in Germany to be used for attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets.
“During today’s arrests, various weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, and a significant amount of ammunition were found,” the prosecutor’s office said.
Law enforcement officers also carried out searches in the towns of Leipzig and Oberhausen as part of the investigation.
The prosecutor’s press office describes the men as “foreign operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas,” saying they are believed to have been active members since at least the summer.
The suspects were detained by officers of the Federal Criminal Police Office. They are scheduled to appear before the Federal Court of Justice on Thursday, where judges will decide whether to issue formal arrest warrants and place them in pre-trial detention.
The arrests come amid heightened security across Europe amid the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, sparked by the Hamas-led, Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.
German authorities have warned repeatedly of rising threats against Jewish communities and institutions in the country since the war began.
