On November 26, German federal prosecutors announced charges against four individuals suspected of being operatives for Hamas. The accused allegedly held significant roles within the group’s military wing and were involved in sourcing and maintaining weapons caches across Europe, potentially for use in terrorist attacks against Jewish, American, and international targets.
The suspects, identified as Ibrahim El-R., Abdelhamid al-A., Mohamed B., and Nazih R., include two Lebanese nationals, an Egyptian, and a Dutch citizen, all of whom resided in Europe. According to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General, the suspects have been charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization under Sections 129a and 129b of the German Criminal Code. Investigators claim the men maintained direct connections with senior officials in Hamas’s military wing.
Prosecutors allege that the operatives were tasked with preparing for potential attacks by establishing and managing weapons caches in multiple European countries. Between June and December 2023, all four suspects attempted to locate a weapons depot in Poland but were unsuccessful. The possible targets mentioned in the prosecutor’s statement include the Israeli Embassy in Berlin, the U.S. Air Base in Ramstein, and Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport.
Authorities report that Ibrahim El-R. managed a weapons storage site in Bulgaria since 2019, which housed Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition. In mid-2019, he reportedly transported a pistol from a Danish weapons cache to Germany.
The prosecution further noted that the underground storage networks were operated by foreign agents holding European residency permits. This operational model, prosecutors assert, forms part of Hamas’s broader efforts to maintain a ready arsenal for attacks against Jewish communities and other targets in Europe.
