Drama in Berlin: Hamas planned massacre of Jews

Prosecutors suspect that the three men are foreign Hamas operatives and were involved in procuring firearms and ammunition intended for attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany.

“During today’s arrests, several types of weapons were found, including an AK-47 assault rifle, several handguns, and a significant amount of ammunition,” the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The three suspects—identified under German privacy laws only as German citizen Abed Al G., Lebanon-born Wael F. M., and German citizen Ahmad I.—were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday. A security source said they are all in their 30s or 40s.

Reuters was not immediately able to contact the suspects’ lawyers. Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and is backed by Iran, is designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, the United States, and several other countries.

Counterterrorism investigators monitored the suspects during a meeting in Berlin to exchange weapons, after which security forces intervened and seized functional firearms, including a Glock pistol, a prosecution spokesman said.

Forensic experts are currently analyzing the arsenal, and raids were also carried out in the eastern city of Leipzig, where one suspect resides. Authorities also conducted a search in Oberhausen, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the spokesman added.

Germany is one of Israel’s strongest allies due to the legacy of the Holocaust, and security has been particularly tight around synagogues and other Jewish institutions. Last month, Germany declined to join France, Britain, and several other countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood, despite opposition from Israel.

Hamas has not yet commented on the 20-point plan for Gaza presented by U.S. President Donald Trump, which includes the group’s disarmament.

In February, a trial began in Berlin against four Hamas members accused of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, described by prosecutors as the first such court case against members of the Palestinian group in Germany.