By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERLIN/AMSTERDAM (Worthy News) – Seven people have been detained in Germany, neighboring the Netherlands and Denmark for allegedly participating in a cross-border Hamas terrorism plot to kill Jews across Europe, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Three people were arrested in Germany, three in Denmark, and one in the Netherlands, with the Danish prime minister describing the plot as being “as serious as it gets.”
The Hamas operatives were under orders to bring a cache of weapons from an undisclosed location in Europe to Berlin to attack Jewish institutions, German prosecutors said.
Germany has said that at least four of the seven suspects in the alleged plot are members of Hamas, condemned as a terrorist organization by the West.
Hamas controlled the Gaza Strip and launched the October 7 attacks in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people in the worst atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah.
However, the detentions underscored concerns that the Israel-Hamas war is spreading beyond the Middle East.
The suspects detained in three European countries were allegedly planning attacks across Europe, officials said, without giving further details.
CROSS-BORDER PLOT
Israeli and German officials made clear that the arrests were linked to a single, cross-border European terror plot aimed at Jewish institutions.
At least one of the arrested men acted on behalf of Hamas leaders in Lebanon, German officials said.
Three of the suspects detained in Berlin are citizens of Egypt and Lebanon, according to German prosecutors. The three suspects arrested in Denmark are to be charged with terror offenses, explained Danish police chief inspector Flemming Drejer.
Europe has been on high alert for Hamas-linked attacks since its fighters launched the October 7 massacre, prompting Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza.
While there was an immediate British link, Jewish representatives expressed concerns about the developments on the European continent. Britain’s Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security advice and protection to synagogues, Jewish schools, and other Jewish sites, said the news had worrying implications for Britain and other countries.
“Historically, Hamas has never shown interest in carrying out terrorist attacks outside of Israel. There have been one or two plots over the years linked to them but nothing on a significant scale,” CST said in published remarks.
“But if this is a shift in policy for Hamas to carry out attacks on Jewish communities outside the region, in line with Iran and Hezbollah, that would be extremely concerning. It represents a significant shift in the threat posed to Jewish communities. There is a big concern if Hamas [headquarters] HQ is ordering Hamas people in Europe to carry out an attack.”
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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