Four members of the terrorist organization Hamas have been detained in Germany and the Netherlands on suspicion of planning to launch terrorist attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, German prosecutors said Thursday.
Three of the four members, who have close links to Hamas's military leadership, were apprehended in Berlin, while one was arrested in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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The suspects have been identified as Dutch national Nazih R, who was arrested by police in Rotterdam, Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, and Egyptian national Mohamed B, who were arrested in Berlin, prosecutors said. Abdelhamid Al A had been assigned with sourcing weapons, which were due to be taken to Berlin and stored for possible attacks.
The arrests come amid a stark rise in antisemitism in Germany since Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
"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," German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said in a statement obtained by Reuters. "We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again."
The arrests coincided with a terrorist plot in Denmark, which resulted in three additional arrests. The Danish arrests have not been directly linked with Hamas, but Flemming Drejer, the operative head of Denmark’s Security and Intelligence Service, said there was a "special focus” on Jewish institutions, according to the Associated Press.
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Drejer said those arrested in Denmark were part of a network, and the arrests were made “in close collaboration with our foreign partners."
Danish officials said the country will not raise its threat level after the arrests, but European authorities have warned of an increased risk of terrorist attacks across the continent due to the war in Israel.