Germany Indicts Seven Hamas Operatives for Plotting Attacks in Europe

Federal prosecutors in Germany have filed charges against seven Hamas members accused of planning a "murderous attack" against Israeli and Jewish targets in Germany and Austria, acting on orders from senior Hamas officials. The indictment, submitted to the State Security Chamber of the Berlin High Court, alleges that the seven individuals, identified as Abd al-G., Yusuf S., Burhan al-Q., Waal F.M., Ahmed A., Kamal M., and Muhammad S., were part of Hamas's operational wing outside the Gaza Strip.

According to the indictment, some of the accused were instructed by Hamas leadership to acquire weapons and ammunition in Germany for an attack targeting official Israeli representatives, Jews, or individuals perceived as pro-Israel. The prosecution asserts this was not an independent initiative but an operation directed by Hamas leadership, which has reportedly been establishing weapon caches in Europe for years through its military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

The case was uncovered through an extensive investigation led by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, in cooperation with European intelligence services and law enforcement. A November 2025 statement from the Prime Minister's Office, on behalf of Mossad, revealed Hamas's efforts to build terror infrastructure in Europe, including operatives, weapons, and caches, intended for use by terror cells "on the day the order is given."

As part of this collaboration, complex counter-terrorism operations were conducted in various countries, including Germany and Austria, leading to arrests and the discovery of weapon caches. In Vienna, a hideout containing handguns and other weapons, concealed in a suitcase within a rented storage unit, was uncovered by Austria's Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN).

Central to the investigation is Muhammad Naeem, a 39-year-old British citizen and the son of Bassam Naeem, a senior figure in Hamas's political bureau abroad. The Prime Minister's Office identified Muhammad Naeem as the owner of the weapons found in Vienna. German authorities, adhering to privacy rules, refer to him as "Muhammad A." He is accused of meeting twice in Berlin with Abd al-G., receiving five handguns and ammunition, transporting them to Austria, and storing them in Vienna. Investigators claim he also prepared a video claiming responsibility for the attack in the name of Hamas, suggesting the network was preparing for an actual attack.

Naeem was arrested in central London in November 2025 following a German arrest warrant and is currently held in the UK pending extradition proceedings, thus not included in the current indictment. The planned attack was reportedly scheduled for early October 2025, around the second anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel. Three members of the group were arrested in Berlin on October 1st, 2025, after acquiring an automatic rifle, 13 handguns, and over 700 rounds of ammunition, some of which were moved to the Vienna hideout.

The investigation also reportedly exposed the involvement of Hamas leadership operating from Qatar in promoting terror activities abroad, despite public denials from the organization's officials. The seven defendants currently detained in Germany face charges including membership in a foreign terrorist organization, preparing a serious act of violence, and weapons offenses.