The arrests had been made as Israel pressed on with its operation to destroy Hamas within the Gaza Strip, a warfare that was touched off by a cross-border Oct 7 assault on Israeli cities by militants of the Palestinian militant motion.
Three of the suspects had been detained in Berlin and one other was detained within the Netherlands, all 4 longstanding members of Hamas with shut hyperlinks to the management of Hamas’ navy department, German prosecutors mentioned in an announcement.
A Hamas official denied these held had been related to the group.
Three individuals arrested in Denmark could be charged beneath the terrorism clause of the prison code and put in entrance of a decide for preliminary questioning, police mentioned. It was not clear if there was a hyperlink between the arrests in Denmark and people in Germany and the Netherlands.
Dutch nationwide Nazih R was arrested by police in Rotterdam, whereas Lebanon-born Abdelhamid Al A and Ibrahim El-R, in addition to Egyptian nationwide Mohamed B, had been arrested within the German capital, German prosecutors mentioned.
Hamas leaders in Lebanon had assigned Abdelhamid Al A to search out sources for weapons, prosecutors mentioned. The weapons had been as a consequence of be taken to Berlin and saved prepared for potential terrorist assaults towards Jewish establishments, prosecutors mentioned.
“Following the horrible assaults by Hamas on the Israeli inhabitants, assaults on Jews in Jewish establishments have additionally elevated in our nation in latest weeks,” German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann mentioned in an announcement on the detentions.
“We should subsequently do all the pieces we will to make sure that Jews in our nation do not need to worry for his or her security once more.”
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri advised Reuters: “We deny there are members of Hamas detained in Denmark, Germany, or another European nation. Publishing these allegations goals to affect the mass rallies which can be supportive of Palestine in Europe.”
Dutch police mentioned they’d arrested a 57-year-old man in Rotterdam on Thursday on the request of German authorities in a Danish-German investigation.
Israel’s Mossad spy company mentioned Denmark had uncovered “Hamas infrastructure on European soil”, an announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned.
The Danish police and intelligence service weren’t instantly obtainable for touch upon the Israeli assertion. The justice ministry declined to remark.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was quoted by Ritzau information company as saying: “It’s after all – in relation to Israel and Gaza – fully unacceptable for somebody to carry a battle elsewhere on the planet into Danish society.”
Danish police mentioned Thursday’s raids adopted investigations made in shut cooperation with companions overseas, which had revealed a community of individuals making ready a terrorist assault.
Police mentioned they’d enhance their public presence in coming days, particularly in Copenhagen and round Jewish localities. The Jewish Group in Denmark mentioned it had been briefed concerning the raids however didn’t have any information about precise threats to Jewish targets.
