Germany Charges Four Suspected Hamas Operatives with Terrorism

Germany has officially charged four individuals suspected of being members of Hamas, a designated terrorist organization, the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General revealed on Monday. The charges were filed on November 8 against the four men, who include two Lebanese nationals, one Egyptian, and one Dutch national.

The suspects are accused of being members of Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and several other countries. The charges were brought under Sections 129a and 129b of Germany’s Criminal Code, which criminalize membership in foreign terrorist organizations.

According to the prosecutors, Hamas operates from Gaza but has established underground weapons depots across Europe, aiming to prepare for potential attacks on Jewish targets and institutions. These depots, managed by foreign agents with European residency, can be mobilized quickly for attacks. Prosecutors have pointed to possible targets, including the Israeli embassy in Berlin, the US airbase in Ramstein, and Tempelhof Airport.

The four men indicted—Abdelhamid Al A., Mohamed B., Nazih R., and Ibrahim El-R—are accused of working as foreign operatives for Hamas over several years. Prosecutors assert that the men held senior positions within the organization and had direct ties to high-ranking officials in Hamas's military wing.

In particular, Ibrahim El-R is reported to have set up a weapons depot in Bulgaria in 2019, which contained ammunition and firearms, including a Kalashnikov. He also cleared out a weapons cache in Denmark the same year and brought firearms into Germany. His activities included another visit to Bulgaria in August 2023, as well as several searches in Poland between June and December 2023 in an attempt to locate additional weapons caches.

The accused men were arrested on December 14, 2023, with Nazih R being detained in the Netherlands before being transferred to Germany for prosecution.