Four Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe went on trial in Berlin on Tuesday, in what prosecutors described as the first court case against members of the Islamist group in Germany.
The Hamas members were detained on December 14, 2023 on suspicion of planning attacks, German prosecutors said at the time.
“For the first time in Germany, suspects are facing charges of having participated as members of the foreign terrorist organization Hamas,” prosecutor Jochen Weingarten told Reuters.
He added the defendants were accused of seeking to locate a secret weapons depot in Poland for possible attacks, while receiving orders from the deputy commander of the Qassam Brigades in Lebanon.
According to previous statements by prosecutors, the defendants are also accused of operating other weapons caches in Europe.
Details of the charges
Charges were brought against the four in November 2024, the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General revealed at the time. Two of the men are Lebanese nationals, one is Egyptian, the other is Dutch.
The prosecutors noted that while Hamas is run out of Gaza, it has set up underground weapons depots in countries across Europe to ready them for possible attacks against Jews or Jewish institutions in the Diaspora. To manage this, Hamas used foreign agents with European residency, who could be mobilized at short notice.
Membership of a foreign terrorist organization falls under under sections 129a and 129b of Germany’s Criminal Code.
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