Hamas Planned European Attacks for October 7 Anniversary, Investigation Reveals

A Hamas network was preparing terrorist attacks in Europe targeting Jewish sites, including the Jewish Museum and the Austrian-Israeli Society in Vienna, to coincide with the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre. The plot was thwarted by intelligence agencies, according to a joint investigation by Germany's Der Spiegel and Austria's Der Standard published on Monday, October 5.

The investigation revealed potential involvement of senior Hamas official Basem Naim, a member of Hamas's politburo and former health minister in Gaza. He allegedly communicated secretly with his son, Mohammed Naim, a key figure in the terror network, via Telegram, discussing attack plans in Vienna or Germany, as well as other topics like ceasefire negotiations with Israel and U.S. policy. Publicly, Basem Naim condemned attacks against Jews in Europe and the U.S.

Mohammed Naim's activities became particularly significant in September 2025. Following an Israeli strike in Qatar that reportedly endangered his father's life, Mohammed Naim traveled to the United Arab Emirates. This trip occurred about a month after he recorded a video in Vienna admitting responsibility for a future attack. Investigators believe this trip indicates close terror ties between father and son, though the specifics of their discussions are unknown. Previously, it was reported that weapons seized in Vienna belonged to Mohammed Naim.

The investigation detailed a four-minute, 32-second video recorded by Mohammed Naim late on August 7, 2025, in a rented room in Vienna. Wearing a cap, sunglasses, and with his face obscured, he held two pistols and spoke of revenge against Israel for the "genocide in Gaza," threatening that "blood will be shed." He allegedly promised that "armed resistance" would deliver a "message written in blood" to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Traces of his presence were found on the weapons, believed to be part of the same batch.

Further details emerged regarding the storage of weapons. Five pistols were hidden for weeks in a self-storage unit in Vienna, rented under a false name. The unit was located near Jewish and Israeli institutions and accessible via major roads. The pistols were found in a suitcase lined with aluminum foil, alongside gun cleaning oil and lubricant, suggesting the weapons were prepared for immediate use.

German authorities received crucial intelligence from Mossad in June 2025, indicating the suspects were involved in arms deals within Germany. This led German security services to monitor the network's members as they moved across Europe, acquiring weapons and ammunition. The existence of the network and its attack plans were uncovered earlier, leading the German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to charge seven suspects with Hamas membership. The indictment stated the group acquired 13 pistols, an assault rifle, and 718 rounds of ammunition. Five pistols were transported from Denmark to Berlin, then to Mohammed Naim, and finally by train to Vienna. An additional eight pistols, an assault rifle, and hundreds of rounds were allegedly intended for storage in Leipzig before the planned attacks.

On October 1, 2025, German police arrested three suspects during an arms transfer, seizing the weapons. Subsequent arrests occurred across Europe, with nine individuals detained in total, seven of whom face trial in Berlin. This infrastructure is part of a broader Hamas system established in Europe years ago, with a weapons cache found in Bulgaria in 2019 and attempts to establish more in 2023. Four members of an earlier network were convicted in Berlin in 2026.

Security sources in Europe view this as a shift in Hamas's operational methods on the continent, moving from primarily fundraising and logistics to actively storing weapons, utilizing combat cells, and planning attacks. The thwarted plot included ready-to-use weapons, cross-border transport, identified targets, and a pre-recorded video claiming responsibility.