Three suspected members of the Palestinian armed group Hamas have been arrested for allegedly planning attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany, as reported by prosecutors.
The suspects, identified as Abed Al G, Wael F M, and Ahmad I, include two German citizens and one Lebanese-born individual. They are accused of procuring firearms and ammunition since the summer in preparation for the attacks, according to Germany's federal prosecutor's office.
These arrests occurred in Berlin just a day before Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, raising serious concerns about anti-Semitic violence.
Hamas, which is regarded as a terrorist organization by the European Union, has denied any involvement or connection to the suspects.
During the course of the arrests, authorities stated that various weapons were discovered, including an AK-47 and several pistols, alongside a substantial amount of ammunition. These were supposedly intended for use in assassination attempts against Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany.
The suspects were detained during an apparent weapons handover in Berlin. Further police searches occurred in Leipzig and Oberhausen as part of the investigation.
They face charges of preparing a serious act of violence and affiliation with a foreign terrorist organization.
A spokesperson for Hamas described the allegations as baseless and claimed they intend to tarnish German public sympathy for Palestine, asserting that their activities are limited to Palestinian territories.
This incident follows a previous trial earlier in the year, which saw four Hamas members prosecuted for plotting attacks on Jewish sites in Europe.
