German authorities, working closely with Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, arrested three men accused of belonging to a Hamas-linked terrorist cell plotting attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets.
The arrests took place Wednesday in Berlin and Karlsruhe after a long-running surveillance operation. German prosecutors said the suspects — identified under privacy laws as German citizens Abed Al G. and Ahmad I., and Lebanese-born Wael F. M. — were in possession of weapons and ammunition intended for terrorist attacks. Seized items included an AK-47 assault rifle, pistols, and large quantities of ammunition.
The Mossad said the takedown was part of a wider campaign across Europe, where recent operations with local intelligence services uncovered weapons caches and led to multiple arrests. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office credited “close cooperation” with German security forces in thwarting what it described as a planned wave of attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets.
German prosecutors revealed the suspects had been procuring weapons since at least the summer for use in assassinations and coordinated attacks. Police intervened at the moment of a weapons handover, preventing what authorities believe could have been imminent action.
Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union, United States, and others, denied any connection to the suspects, insisting its struggle is limited to Israel. However, the arrests follow a string of thwarted Hamas-linked plots across the continent, with Mossad warning it will continue to operate globally to foil threats against Israelis and Jews.
The arrests come amid heightened alert across Europe following the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre in Israel and rising antisemitic violence on the continent. Germany, one of Israel’s strongest allies, has significantly increased security around synagogues and Jewish institutions in recent months
