- Hamas plot foiled
- Arrests in Germany, Denmark
- Elevated terror threat in Denmark
Four Hamas members are believed to have been apprehended by German authorities, who claim they were involved in an alleged conspiracy to attack Jewish sites.
In Berlin, the suspects allegedly intended to store weapons for potential use in an attack, according to prosecutors.
The Danish government also announced the apprehension of three individuals suspected of plotting an assault.
According to the Danish intelligence agency, the Danish and German investigations were not explicitly related.
According to a statement from German prosecutors, three Hamas-affiliated suspects were apprehended in Berlin, while one was arrested in the Netherlands. Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza, is outlawed throughout Europe.
German media reported the arrests following police raids of five apartments and a restaurant in Berlin.
Egyptian and Lebanese nationals were among the three individuals detained in Berlin, as stated by German prosecutors.
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The Dutch national who constituted the fourth suspect was apprehended in Rotterdam by Dutch law enforcement, acting on intelligence provided by the German authorities.
It is believed that all four individuals are veteran members of Hamas.
The four, according to German prosecutors, were “closely linked” to the leadership of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
They further stated that Abdelhamid Al A, one of the four, had been assigned by Hamas commanders in Lebanon the responsibility of locating a “weapons depot in Europe that the organisation had previously established covertly there.”
Heightened Threat in Denmark
To prepare for European Jewish institution attacks, the weapons were transferred to Berlin.
The Danish police chief of intelligence, Flemming Drejer, stated that the three suspects apprehended during an internal investigation would face charges related to terrorism.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark described the danger as “the gravest it gets.”
The Danish PET intelligence and security agency clarified that “no direct connection” existed between the Danish and German arrests.
In a statement published on X (previously Twitter), the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the seven individuals apprehended were “operating on behalf of Hamas.” However, while German federal prosecutors have linked the conspiracy to Hamas, the Danish government has not stated that the organization is associated with their investigation.
The alleged plot, according to Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, “tragically confirms that Danish Jews are in danger.”
On Thursday, those detained in Denmark were scheduled to appear in closed court.
An investigation, according to Ch Insp. Drejer, uncovered a transnational network of individuals with ties to criminal organizations preparing for an attack.
Additionally, he added that there would be increased police surveillance in Copenhagen and heightened security around Jewish sites.
Denmark’s intelligence chief, Anja Dalgaard-Nielsen, blamed the Israel-Gaza conflict and Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark for the terror threat.
Ylva Johansson, coordinator of home affairs for the European Union, issued a dire warning earlier this month. She stated that the Christmas season posed a “huge risk” of terrorist attacks in Europe.
Two individuals were killed in 2015 when a synagogue and cultural facility in Copenhagen were the targets of an attack.
Presently, Denmark’s level of terror threat is four out of five, which is the second-highest.
According to the PET security and intelligence agency, militant Islamists, most likely “a small group or a lone actor” motivated by propaganda, pose the greatest threat to Denmark.
Mr. Hummelgaard stated that the government saw no reason to increase the threat level.
