Four Hamas members detained in Europe, suspected attack plan

BERLIN — Four members of the militant group Hamas have been detained on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, German prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday.

Three of the suspects were detained in Berlin and another was detained in the Netherlands, according to the prosecutors.

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, prosecutors said, claiming that all four have been longstanding members of Hamas with close links to the leadership of the group's military branch.

They were said to have tried to gather weapons to be "kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe," German federal prosecutors said in a statement. They allege that, no later than early 2023,  Hamas leaders in Lebanon tasked Abdelhamid Al A. with locating a "depot with weapons in Europe, which the organization had covertly set up there in the past," prosecutors said.

"The weapons were due to be taken to Berlin and kept in a state of readiness in view of potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe."

Abdelhamid Al A., Mohamed B. and Nazih R. "set out from Berlin several times to search for the weapons," and were aided in their efforts by Ibrahim El-R.

"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.

European authorities have warned of an increased risk of attacks by those radicalized by the Hamas-Israel war.

"The protection of Jews is our top priority," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement.

"We will use all legal means against those who threaten the lives of Jews and the existence of the State of Israel," Faeser said.