Germany arrests 3 Hamas suspects 'planning attacks', group denies link

Three suspected members of Palestinian group Hamas were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday for allegedly planning attacks on Jewish and Israeli sites, German prosecutors said, with weapons and ammunition also seized.

The male suspects were "foreign operatives" of Hamas, who have "have been involved in procuring firearms and ammunition for the organisation" in Germany, said federal prosecutors in a statement.

But Hamas denied any connection to the three men.

According to German prosecutors, an AK-47 assault rifle and several pistols, along with a stash of ammunition, were seized when the suspects were arrested.

"The weapons were to be used by Hamas for deadly attacks targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany," added the statement.

According to news outlet Der Spiegel, searches were also carried out in the eastern city of Leipzig around the same time as the arrests in Berlin.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt hailed law enforcement officials for "averting a terrorist threat".

'No connection,' says Hamas

A suspect with Hamas connections had entered Germany several months ago and had been under observation since, Dobrindt told reporters in Brussels.

"We are clearly a target for terrorists, which is why we must always be well prepared to defend ourselves against them," he added.

But in a statement, Hamas said it has "no connection with the individuals arrested today in Germany", adding the allegations that the detainees had links to the Islamist group were "completely unfounded".

According to German prosecutors, the suspects are accused of membership of a foreign terrorist organisation and preparing a "serious act of violence endangering the state".

Two of the suspects were partially identified as German citizens Abed Al G. and Ahmad I. The third, Wael F. M., was described only as "Lebanese-born", as the prosecutor's office said his nationality was not yet clear.

They will appear in court Thursday.

Germany considers Hamas a terrorist group. Its activities and any organisations linked to the group are banned in the country.

Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed over 66,000 Palestinians since 7 October 2023, has proved deeply divisive in Germany.

Germany's stance has been impacted by its principle of Staatrason - i.e. seeking to atone for the Holocaust, and is traditionally a staunch Israeli ally.