BERLIN, Germany | German federal prosecutors have charged seven suspected Hamas members over an alleged terrorist plot to attack Israeli representatives, Jews or pro-Israel individuals in Germany or Austria around the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel.
Prosecutors announced the charges Sept. 11, accusing the seven defendants of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. Weapons offenses are also alleged against several of the accused.
According to prosecutors, the defendants acted on instructions from senior Hamas figures and participated in obtaining weapons for an attack planned for early October 2025.
Authorities allege the network acquired one fully automatic rifle, 13 pistols and more than 700 rounds of ammunition.
The alleged targets included Israeli representatives, Jewish people and individuals publicly identified as supportive of Israel.
All seven defendants remain in custody. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Prosecutors Say Attack Planning Began by July 2025
German authorities allege Hamasโs military wing was planning a specific attack in Germany or Austria by at least July 2025.
The attack was allegedly intended to occur around the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, when Hamas-led terrorists invaded southern Israel, murdered approximately 1,200 people and abducted 251 others.
Investigators say members of the suspected European network were tasked with acquiring firearms and ammunition that could be used in the planned attack.
Three suspects were arrested in Berlin in October 2025 after authorities seized weapons. Authorities made additional arrests between October 2025 and May 2026.
Investigators also traced activity connected to Vienna, London, Copenhagen and Cyprus. Austrian authorities discovered an alleged weapons cache in Vienna as part of the wider investigation.
Germanyโs federal interior minister said after the initial arrests that authorities believed they had disrupted a concrete terrorist threat.
Alleged Targets Included Jews and Pro-Israel Individuals
The case is particularly significant because prosecutors allege the intended targets extended beyond official Israeli representatives.
Jewish civilians and people identified as pro-Israel were also allegedly considered potential targets.
German security authorities have repeatedly warned that threats against Jewish communities increased following the Oct. 7 attacks and the war that followed.
Germanyโs domestic intelligence service has said the investigation demonstrates an effort by Hamas or individuals linked to it to establish covert logistical networks in Europe capable of obtaining weapons and preparing attacks.
That assessment raises broader concerns about whether organizations traditionally viewed as operating primarily in the Middle East are attempting to develop operational infrastructure inside European countries.
Germany designates Hamas as a terrorist organization, as do the European Union, United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel.
Suspects Accused of Operating on Hamas Instructions
German reporting identified the seven defendants as men who hold citizenship in, or originate from, several European and Middle Eastern countries.
Prosecutors allege they carried out different functions within the network, including locating, obtaining, transporting and storing firearms.
Authorities say the orders ultimately came from senior Hamas figures.
One alleged organizer, identified in German reporting as Mohammed A., was arrested in London in November 2025. German authorities are seeking his extradition.
The investigation has therefore developed into a multinational security operation involving several European jurisdictions.
Hamas has denied any connection to the suspects and previously rejected allegations that it was building an attack network in Europe.
That denial directly contradicts the German prosecution case and will ultimately be assessed through the judicial process.
Weapons Cache Heightens Concern
The volume and type of weapons allegedly obtained distinguish the case from investigations involving extremist rhetoric or preliminary planning alone.
A fully automatic rifle, 13 handguns and more than 700 rounds of ammunition had already been acquired, according to prosecutors.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the precise location, individual or institution that was ultimately intended to be attacked.
Prosecutors have also not disclosed every detail about how the defendants allegedly selected targets or how advanced their operational planning had become.
The alleged timing, however, was specific.
Prosecutors say the attack was intended for early October 2025, close to the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre in Israel.
European Jewish Security Under Continued Pressure
The charges come as Jewish institutions across Europe continue to operate under elevated security precautions.
Synagogues, Jewish schools, cultural centers and Israeli diplomatic facilities in several European countries regularly receive police protection, particularly during major Jewish holidays and following heightened Middle East tensions.
Germany carries particular historical responsibility for Jewish security because of the Holocaust and has repeatedly described the protection of Jewish life as a central obligation of the state.
The alleged plot highlights a threat extending beyond antisemitic vandalism, harassment or public demonstrations.
If the prosecution case is established, the defendants were allegedly helping construct an armed terrorist capability designed to kill Israelis, Jews or supporters of Israel inside Europe.
For now, those accusations remain before the courts.
What is confirmed is that seven defendants are in German custody, prosecutors have formally accused them of participating in a Hamas-directed weapons operation, and authorities say a cache containing an automatic rifle, 13 pistols, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition had already been assembled before the alleged attack could take place.
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