Germany Foils Hamas Terror Plot: Three Suspected Militants Nabbed Over Plans to Attack Jewish Institutions

Berlin, Germany – In a dramatic counter-terrorism sweep, German authorities have arrested three men accused of plotting deadly armed assaults on Israeli and Jewish institutions across the country. The arrests, confirmed by federal prosecutors on Wednesday, came just hours before Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, heightening fears of sectarian violence.

The suspects—identified only as Abed Al G., Wael F. M., and Ahmad I.—were apprehended in Berlin on Tuesday during what officials described as a “weapons handover operation.” Investigators seized an AK-47 assault rifle, multiple pistols, and a large cache of ammunition, allegedly stockpiled for the attacks.

Prosecutors revealed that the men, two of whom hold German citizenship while the third is Lebanese-born, had been building an arsenal since summer in preparation for what authorities believe were Hamas-directed operations on German soil.

> “The weapons were intended for use in assassination-style attacks against Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany,” federal prosecutors said in a statement.

Police simultaneously raided properties in Leipzig and Oberhausen, broadening the probe into what officials suspect could be part of a wider terror network. The men now face charges of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state and membership in a foreign terrorist organization. They are scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Thursday.

While Germany pointed directly to Hamas, the Palestinian militant group—officially designated a terrorist organization by the European Union—swiftly denied involvement. In a fiery statement, Hamas called the allegations “baseless,” accusing German authorities of trying to “undermine the German people’s sympathy for the Palestinian cause.”

The arrests come amid mounting security concerns across Europe. Earlier this year, four Hamas operatives went on trial in Berlin over separate plots to target Jewish sites on the continent, underscoring fears that militant cells are expanding their reach in Europe.

German officials have since raised security alerts around synagogues and Jewish community centers, vowing to tighten surveillance and preempt potential copycat attacks.

As tensions in the Middle East continue to reverberate globally, Berlin’s latest crackdown sends a clear message: Germany is prepared to strike first against terrorism before it strikes its citizens.