Indictment of Seven Individuals Linked to Hamas
The German federal prosecutor’s office has announced that seven people have been indicted for allegedly accumulating weapons intended for the terrorist group Hamas. Prosecutors claim this group was working on a plan to conduct attacks in 2025, notably around the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel.
Germany’s domestic intelligence report indicates that, in 2025, as many as 650 Hamas operatives were present in the country, with officials noting that these numbers are “partly estimated and rounded.” Additionally, the report mentions approximately 1,250 active Hezbollah operatives in Germany.
On September 11, prosecutors highlighted that the planned attack was set to occur “in close proximity” to the anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel in 2023.
“All individuals charged are associated with the foreign terrorist organization Hamas. The military wing, known as the Qassam Brigades, has been establishing arms depots in Europe for some time. The group was preparing a specific assassination attack in Germany or Austria targeting Israeli representatives, Jewish individuals, or pro-Israel activists since at least July 2025.”
Reports suggest that the suspected terrorists had acquired a “fully functional, fully automatic rifle, thirteen functional pistols, and over 700 rounds of ammunition.”
On September 14, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X, asserting that these attacks were intended to commemorate “October 7 with more blood.”
“Palestinian Hamas was planning terror on the streets of Europe,” their post stated. “German prosecutors indicate Hamas was plotting attacks in Berlin and Vienna aimed at Jewish communities and Israeli diplomats—a part of a network allegedly using Turkey to coordinate terror operations against European targets. Their goal was to mark October 7 with more blood.”
Sascha Adamek, a journalist and author of a book on political Islam, weighed in on the situation. He suggested that past diplomatic strategies are now backfiring on Germany.
“Now the policy of previous federal governments is coming back to haunt them—up until 2023, they permitted Hamas and its affiliates to use Germany as a ‘safe haven’ for fundraising, recruitment, and radicalization of youth,” Adamek commented. “This compromise that Hamas would refrain from violence in Germany is no longer valid.”
When questioned about whether the German government has allowed Hamas and Hezbollah networks to persist, the Interior Ministry stated that the activities of such groups breach German law.
“On November 2, 2023, the Federal Ministry of the Interior prohibited Hamas’s operations in Germany, as they violate German criminal law and contradict international understanding principles,” the Ministry explained. “The organization’s activities also significantly harm the interests of Germany. Moreover, Hezbollah’s activities were banned by the Ministry on April 30, 2020, for similar reasons.”
“The October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, and the subsequent military actions by Israeli defense forces in Gaza, continue to influence the security landscape in Germany and across Europe,” the statement added. “There remains a notable threat, as vigorous pro-Palestinian protests and extreme reactions on social media are prevalent. Various extremists here are inciting animosity and violence against Jews or the State of Israel, while also denying its right to exist.”
The indictment of the Lebanese individuals highlights the connection between Hamas and Hezbollah, both classified as terrorist organizations by the U.S. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, escalated its involvement the day after Hamas began its attack on Israel, which led to the deaths of over 1,200 individuals on that tragic day.
