The Federal Prosecutor’s Office in Karlsruhe announced on Wednesday that three suspected members of the radical Islamist Palestinian organization were provisionally arrested in Berlin. They allegedly attempted to procure weapons for Hamas attacks. According to the authority, the weapons were intended to be used for murders targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) spoke of a thwarted “terrorist threat situation” and explained that the arrested individuals had been under observation for some time.
During the arrests of the “foreign operatives” of Hamas, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office reported that, among other things, an assault rifle, several pistols, and a large quantity of ammunition were found. The names of the three men were given as Abed Al G., Ahmad I., and Wael F. M. Two of them are German nationals, while F. M. was born in Lebanon.
They are accused of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing a serious violent act endangering the state. Since at least the summer, they had allegedly been working from Germany to obtain firearms and ammunition for Hamas.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced that on Thursday it would apply to the investigating judge at the Federal Court of Justice for arrest warrants. The three accused are also scheduled to appear before the investigating judge on Thursday, who will decide on the warrants and the execution of pre-trial detention.
In a statement, Dobrindt said: “Several months ago, a terror suspect known to us with Hamas contacts entered Germany. Since then, this person has been under surveillance and, during this time, attempted through contacts to obtain corresponding weapons and ammunition in order to carry out an attack.” The minister confirmed that weapons and ammunition had been seized.
“We assume that this threat situation was concrete,” Dobrindt continued. However, he added, the suspects had been apprehended “in time.” The operation therefore disproved the sometimes-spread theory that Germany is “a safe haven for terror,” Dobrindt said.
Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) declared that the arrested individuals were suspected of “preparing attacks on Jewish or Israeli institutions in Germany.” She added: “They are believed to be members of Hamas. If the allegations are confirmed, this is a very serious matter. What is clear in any case: Jewish life in Germany is under threat.”
The state has a responsibility to act against this threat, Hubig emphasized. “We all have a duty to protect Jewish life. That also means: no tolerance for antisemitism, under any circumstances.” According to a report by Spiegel, searches were also carried out in apartments in Leipzig, Saxony, following the arrests of the three men. The three arrested individuals are said to be between 36 and 44 years old.
Already in December 2023, four suspected members of a Hamas underground cell had been arrested in Berlin and the Netherlands. Their trial began in February before the Berlin Higher Regional Court. They are accused of having set up several weapons depots in Europe on orders from the leadership of Hamas’s military wing for potential attacks.
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