Three alleged Hamas members arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting attacks on Jewish sites

Three alleged members of the Palestinian militant group Hamas have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in the country, officials said on Wednesday.

The suspects are set to appear in court Thursday and a judge will then determine whether the trio can be held in custody ahead of trial.

Germany's federal prosecutor said they have been involved in procuring firearms since earlier this summer.

Various weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, and ammunition were found during a raid.

Two of the suspects are German citizens. The federal prosecutor's office described the third as being born in Lebanon.

They were named only as Abed Al G., Wael F. M., and Ahmad I., in line with German privacy rules.

Hamas has carried out hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians over the years but has rarely operated outside Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Questions will likely be raised over whether the suspects were acting on orders from the Hamas leadership or if they were merely sympathisers with Hamas or the Palestinian cause.

Police on alert

Police in many European countries have been on heightened alert since the 7 October 2023 incursion.

Some forces have boosted security and patrols against possible attacks against Jewish or Israeli sites in recent months amid a spike of antisemitic violence on the continent and beyond.

A report published in May by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)’s J7 Task Force said violent antisemitic incidents had risen across seven countries with the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel.

The report stated that attacks on Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, alongside individuals, have increased significantly, in some cases more than doubling in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The arrests took place as Hamas said it would study US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel nearly two years ago killed some 1,200 people and 251 others were abducted.

Most of the hostages have been freed under previous ceasefire deals, but 48 are still held in Gaza with around 20 believed by Israel to be alive.

Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its toll, but has said women and children make up around half of the dead.