German police arrested three men they suspect of preparing a serious acts of violence against Jewish targets in Germany for Hamas, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
This arrest comes just under a week before the second anniversary of the attack on Israrel by Hamas.
Prosecutors suspect the three men of being foreign operatives for Hamas and of being involved in procuring firearms and ammunition to be used for assassinations targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany, they said.
"In the course of today's arrests, various weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, as well as a considerable amount of ammunition, were found," the federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The three, identified in line with German privacy laws only as German citizen Abed Al G., Wael F. M., born in Lebanon, and German citizen Ahmad I., were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday. A security source said the three were in their 30s or 40s.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact lawyers for the accused.
Hamas, which has been running Gaza and is backed by Iran, is designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union and a number of other countries including the United States.
In February, four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin in what prosecutors described as the first court case against the group in Germany.
Anti-terrorism investigators observed the accused meeting in Berlin for a weapon handover before operational forces intervened and discovered functional weapons, including a Glock pistol, said a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office.
Forensic technicians are examining the arsenal and searches have also taken place in the eastern city of Leipzig, where one of the suspects lives. Authorities also conducted a search in Oberhausen in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the spokesperson added.
Germany is one of Israel's strongest allies due to the legacy of the Holocaust and security is tight at synagogues and other Jewish institutions. It did not join France, Britain and several other countries last month in defying Israel's wishes and recognising Palestinian statehood.
Hamas has not yet responded to a 20-point plan for Gaza by U.S. President Donald Trump, which includes disarmament of the group.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
Authorities in Japan lifted all tsunami warnings on Tuesday following a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck off the northeastern coast late on Monday, injuring at least 30 people and forcing around 90,000 residents to evacuate their homes.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 10th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
The United Nations Security Council has issued warnings about the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, citing a sharp surge in civilian casualties amidst Russia's intensified aerial attacks, marking the deadliest period of the war in more than a year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote.
Fighting between Thailand and Cambodia entered into a third day on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump said he would make a phone call to stop the conflict.
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