German police arrested three men they suspect of preparing a serious attack against Jewish targets in Germany for Hamas, prosecutors said on Wednesday, a week before the second anniversary of the Palestinian Islamist terror group’s attack on Israel.
Prosecutors suspect the three men of being foreign operatives for Hamas and of being involved in procuring firearms and ammunition to be used for assassinations targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany, they said.
“In the course of today’s arrests, various weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition, were found,” the federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The three, identified in line with German privacy laws only as German citizen Abed Al G., Wael F. M., born in Lebanon, and German citizen Ahmad I., were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday. A security source said the three were in their 30s or 40s.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact lawyers for the accused.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
Hamas, which has been running Gaza and is backed by Iran, is designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union and a number of other countries including the United States.
In February, four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin in what prosecutors described as the first court case against Hamas terrorists in Germany.
Members of an elite police unit patrol near the the Beth Zion Synagogue ahead of the commemoration ceremony for the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht in Berlin, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023 (John MacDougall, Pool via AP)
Anti-terrorism investigators observed the accused meeting in Berlin for a weapon handover before operational forces intervened and discovered functional weapons, including a Glock pistol, said a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.
Forensic technicians are examining the arsenal and searches have also taken place in the eastern city of Leipzig, where one of the suspects lives. Authorities also conducted a search in Oberhausen in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the spokesperson added.
Germany is one of Israel’s strongest allies due to the legacy of the Holocaust and security is tight at synagogues and other Jewish institutions. It did not join France, Britain and several other countries last month in defying Israeli wishes and recognizing Palestinian statehood, a move that both Israel and the Trump administration have denounced as a reward for the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terror onslaught that started the ongoing Gaza war.
Police in many European countries have been on heightened alert since the October 7 attack. Some forces have boosted security and patrols against possible attacks against Jewish or Israeli sites in recent months amid a spike of antisemitic violence on the continent and beyond.
The announcement of the arrests came as Hamas has yet to respond to a 20-point plan by US President Donald Trump — which includes disarmament of the terrorist group — to end the war and free the hostages held in Gaza.
Is The Times of Israel important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day, even during war, our journalists keep you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fast, fair and free coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So today, we have an ask: show your appreciation for our work by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel