Seven suspects were arrested in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands for their alleged involvement in a plot targeting Jews and Jewish institutions across Europe, officials in the three countries announced.
The German officials described the four suspects as members of the Hamas terrorist group who have close ties to Hamas’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassem Brigades.
The suspects arrested in Germany—identified only by their first names and the first initial of their last names, in line with German privacy rules—were identified as Lebanese-born Abdelhamid Al A. and Ibrahim El-R., and an Egyptian national identified as Mohamed B. The suspect arrested in the Netherlands was identified as a Dutch national identified as Nazih R.
The German federal prosecutor’s office alleged that beginning this spring, Abdelhamid Al A. had set about locating a cache of weapons that Hamas had previously set up in Europe. Prosecutors say his instructions came from Hamas leaders living in Lebanon and asserted that the weapons were to be located and prepared for use in attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe. Mohamed B., Nazih R., and Ibrahim El-R. all allegedly helped in the efforts to locate the weapons.
The Danish intelligence agency PET also announced the arrests of three people on suspicion of plotting to carry out “an act of terror” on Dec. 14. Officials provided few details about those arrests; it’s unclear whether they believe that the suspects are connected to those arrested in Germany and the Netherlands.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen acknowledged the arrests in her country in a press conference at the European Union summit in Brussels, telling reporters the case represents a serious threat to Danish society.
The arrests come as Israeli military forces are actively fighting Hamas throughout the Gaza Strip. The fighting began after Hamas gunmen breached the Israel–Gaza barrier on Oct. 7 and proceeded to kill hundreds of people throughout southern Israel.
“Concerning Israel–Gaza, it is completely unacceptable for someone to bring an external conflict into Danish society,” Ms. Frederiksen said, according to translated remarks to PBS News.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Dec. 14 that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had worked with Danish authorities to track down multiple suspects working on behalf of Hamas and help thwart attacks across Europe.
Heightened Security Preparations in Europe
The arrests in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands come at a time of heightened warnings for European nations.Ms. Johansson announced that the EU would make an additional 30 million euros ($32.7 million) available to provide added security at potentially vulnerable locations, such as places of worship.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said there have been increased attacks on Jewish people and institutions since the start of the Israel–Hamas conflict.
“We must therefore do everything we can to ensure that Jews in our country do not have to fear for their safety again,” Mr. Buschmann said on Dec. 14.
Following the arrests, Danish police said they would also increase their public presence in the coming days, in particular in Copenhagen and around Jewish localities. The Jewish Community in Denmark stated that it had been briefed about the recent arrest raids but hadn’t received notice of specific threats to Jewish targets.
