Attack plans? Suspected Hamas weapons procurers caught

The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has arrested three suspected members of Hamas in Berlin who are alleged to have procured weapons for attacks in Germany. As so-called foreign operatives of the Islamist terrorist organization, they are said to have procured a rapid-fire rifle and ammunition from Germany, among other things, according to the Karlsruhe authorities. "The weapons were to be used by Hamas for assassination attacks on Israeli or Jewish facilities in Germany."

Searches were also carried out in Leipzig, where one of the suspects lived, said a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor's office. A fourth suspect in Oberhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, who has not been arrested, was also to be searched. "Der Spiegel" had previously reported on the Leipzig search.

Weapons and ammunition found "in considerable quantities"

According to the information provided, the detainees are a 36-year-old German national who was born in Lebanon and a 43-year-old man born in Lebanon, whose nationality was initially unclear. A 44-year-old German national from Syria is also involved. According to the statement, the three men are said to have procured firearms and ammunition since the summer of 2025 at the latest.

During the arrest, the task force found various weapons - "including an AK 47 assault rifle and several pistols, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition", the federal prosecutor's office added. The highest prosecuting authority in Germany will submit applications for arrest warrants to the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice tomorrow.

Dobrindt: Germany clearly "action area" for terrorists

According to Interior Minister Dobrindt, a terrorist threat situation has been averted. The suspects had been the focus of the authorities for some time and were under observation; the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was involved. "A few months ago, a terrorist suspect known to us with Hamas contacts entered Germany," he explained.

In recent months, it had not been clear which person, event or institution the attack plans were directed against. But it is quite possible that this will now change in the course of the investigation.

Dobrindt said that Germany was clearly an "area of action" for terrorists. "That's why we must always arm ourselves strongly against them." Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) explained: "One thing is clear in any case: Jewish life in Germany is under threat. Terrorists and radical anti-Semites are seeking the lives of Jews - here in Germany too. Our state has a responsibility to take action against these threats."

Hamas responsible for massacre in Israel

The declared goal of Hamas is the destruction of the state of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in the Middle East. The organization is responsible for the terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostage. The unprecedented attack triggered the Gaza War.

This is not the first arrest of suspected Hamas members by federal prosecutors. In December 2023, for example, it had three men arrested in Berlin and one in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. According to earlier information, they had been working as foreign operatives for the terrorist organization for years and "held important positions within the organization with direct links to leaders of the military wing". Among other things, they are said to have searched for weapons depots belonging to the organization. The trial at the Berlin Court of Appeal is still ongoing.