German's prosecutor said on Thursday that four members of Hamas were detained on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe. Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, according to the prosecutors.
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Dutch national Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, while Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, as well as Egyptian national Mohamed B, were arrested in the German capital, they said. All four have been longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of the group's military branch, said prosecutors.
Abdelhamid Al A had been tasked by Hamas leaders in Lebanon with sourcing weapons. The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept at the ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions, said prosecutors.
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German police raid home of suspected Hamas operative last month
(Photo: Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters)
"Following the terrible attacks by Hamas on the Israeli population, attacks on Jews in Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks," said German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann in a statement on the detentions. "We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again," he said.
The prosecutors announcement came hours after the police in Denmark said three suspected Hamas terrorists were arrested there and a forth was detained in the Netherlands, for planning an attack. Israel's Mossad confirmed that the target of the terror plot in Denmark was an Israeli.
European authorities have warned of an increased risk of attacks by Islamists radicalized by the Israel-Hamas war.
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German police raid home of suspected Hamas operative last month
(Photo: Fabrizio Bensch / Reuters)
"Following an accelerated and comprehensive intelligence investigation, security and law enforcement agencies in Denmark arrested seven terrorists acting on behalf of the Hamas terrorist organization, and thwarted an attack, the goal of which was to kill innocent civilians on European soil," Mossad said in a statement released after the arrests in Denmark. "The Mossad and the ISA will continue to combine forces and capabilities with their partners in the country and around the world in order to thwart Hamas's intentions and eliminate its capabilities."