Arrest of a Libyan suspected of planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Germany

A Libyan suspected of belonging to the Islamic State (IS) and planning an attack on the Israeli embassy in Germany was arrested on Saturday near Berlin, according to the federal prosecutor's office, as reported by AFP. ''He is suspected of having planned an attack on the Israeli embassy in Berlin,'' said a spokesperson for the German federal prosecutor's office. The suspect is accused of ''supporting a terrorist group abroad,'' specifically IS, according to the same source.

A large police operation involving special forces took place in the evening in the town of Bernau, near Berlin, where the suspect was arrested, according to the tabloid Bild. The suspect's residence in this town was searched, the prosecutor's office added.

According to Bild, the man is 28 years old, and German authorities were alerted through information from foreign intelligence services.

The Israeli ambassador to Berlin, Ron Prosor, thanked the German authorities ''for ensuring the security of our embassy'' in a message on the platform X.

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza, German authorities have heightened their vigilance against the resurgence of anti-Semitism, as have many other countries around the world.

In early September, Munich police shot dead a young Austrian known for his ties to radical Islam as he was about to carry out an attack on the Israeli consulate general.