German authorities have charged four men suspected of establishing and storing weapons for the Palestinian militant group Hamas across Europe. The four suspects, including two Lebanese nationals, an Egyptian citizen, and a Dutch man, are accused of having ties to senior Hamas leaders. They allegedly set up several arms caches intended for use in attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe.
The prosecution revealed that one of the suspects, Ibrahim El-R., a Lebanese national, created a weapons storage site in Bulgaria in 2019, which contained firearms, including a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and ammunition. El-R. is also accused of clearing another weapons cache in Denmark and bringing a pistol to Germany.
From June to December 2023, the suspects were involved in searching for another Hamas weapons depot in Poland, though they did not find it. The prosecutors emphasized that Hamas has long maintained underground weapons depots in various European countries, ready for deployment in potential attacks on Jewish institutions. Targets identified by Hamas included the Israeli embassy in Berlin, the US Air Base in Ramstein, and areas near Tempelhof Airport in Berlin.
The four suspects were arrested in December 2023, with Dutch national Nazih R. detained in Rotterdam and the others captured in Berlin. Following the deadly Hamas assault on Israel in October 2023, Germany banned Hamas activities and groups linked to the organization.