Migrants from Syria and Afghanistan were arrested in Europe in December after being found with weapons and photos of Jews and Israelis, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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Two separate groups, with no apparent connection, were detained in Austria and Bosnia by local authorities. The ongoing war in Gaza is seen as the background of the suspected plots to carry out attacks after it has led to increased threats against Israelis and Jews in Europe.
The arrests were revealed amid a series of counter-terrorism operations in Europe at the end of 2023. A similar operation was reported in Italy on Monday, where three Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of planning terror attacks, including suicide bombings, against civilians and military targets on foreign soil.
The suspects were apprehended in the city of L'Aquila in central Italy and according to a report by the newspaper "La Repubblica" have been living in the country under a humanitarian asylum status.
Italian investigators suggest the Palestinians were linked to a military and operational infrastructure called "Rapid Intervention Force - Tolkeram Brigade," which is part of "Al-Aqsa Brigades," the military wing of the "Fatah" organization. This wing has been defined by the European Union as a terrorist organization since 2023.
Officials told the Wall Street Journal that these cases not only indicate a steady rise in terrorism in Europe but also suggest a new source, complicating the work of security forces. Since 2015, a wave of terrorism initiated by the Islamic State and originating from cells in Syria and Iraq has expanded to include other countries and organizations, including Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.