Hamas Terror Cell Indicted in Germany for Plotting Attacks

German federal prosecutors have indicted seven individuals suspected of belonging to Hamas and of preparing a terrorist infrastructure for attacks against Israeli, Jewish, and pro-Israel targets in Germany and Austria. The indictment alleges the cell acquired 13 handguns, an automatic rifle, and over 700 rounds of ammunition, with some weapons stored in Vienna. This development is a significant escalation in a case first exposed in the fall of 2025, involving arrests across Europe over several months.

The German prosecution claims Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, had begun establishing weapons caches in Europe prior to this, with a concrete plan for a deadly attack solidifying by July 2025. The planned attack was reportedly timed for early October 2025, around the two-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, massacre. Potential targets included Israeli officials, Jewish individuals, and known supporters of Israel, with German reports also mentioning Jewish community institutions and pro-Israel rallies as examined targets.

By the time three suspects were arrested in Berlin on October 1, 2025, the network allegedly possessed the automatic rifle, handguns, and ammunition. Part of this arsenal was transferred to Vienna and hidden. One suspect, arrested in the UK, had even prepared a video claiming responsibility for the planned attack in Hamas's name, which prosecutors cited as evidence of a concrete plot rather than a general organization.

This German investigation complements a case uncovered in November 2025, when Austrian authorities found a weapons cache in Vienna linked to a Hamas network. German authorities suspected at the time that the weapons were intended for attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe. The current picture suggests a cross-border Hamas infrastructure involving weapons acquisition in Germany and elsewhere, transfer to Vienna, and preparation for an attack within Europe.

A particularly dramatic aspect involves a Lebanese-born Berlin resident, identified as Muhammad S., who was reportedly a confidential informant for Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, while allegedly supplying ammunition to the network. He is accused of helping the suspects obtain 300 bullets for approximately 1,050 euros after they lost some ammunition, and was arrested in January 2026. The BfV confirmed he was a source but stated he was never directed by the agency regarding the attack plan, raising serious questions in Germany about how an informant could be involved in supplying a terror network.

Questions have also arisen in the German parliament regarding information received from Israel. The German government stated in August it could not confirm or deny if Israel's Mossad had alerted the BfV to an attack plot or mentioned Muhammad S., citing the "Third Party Rule" which prevents disclosure of foreign intelligence without consent. The case, which has seen arrests in multiple European countries, now involves seven defendants of various nationalities facing charges including membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing violent acts.