Hamas operative arrested in Greece after alleged plot against Jewish, Israeli targets in Germany

A Hamas operative was detained after European authorities uncovered a terror network that allegedly planned deadly attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets in Germany, Bild reported Thursday. The suspect, identified as 37-year-old Youssef M., is said to have entered Germany under the country’s asylum system while acting as an operational member of Hamas and preparing attacks from an improvised bomb workshop.

According to the report, Youssef M. was arrested by Greek intelligence on June 6 in Crete. A search of his apartment in Athens uncovered a working laboratory, precision scales and chemicals used to make explosives. Intelligence assessments say he underwent terror training in the Gaza Strip, like two other Hamas operatives who were later arrested in Cyprus and were in contact with him.

The suspect, who speaks basic German, reportedly used Europe’s refugee protections to establish himself in Germany. After arriving in Greece as a refugee in 2023, he moved on to Germany and applied for asylum in January 2025. German authorities tried to send him back to Greece, but the administrative court in Sigmaringen blocked the move, leaving him free in Germany until he disappeared in September 2025.

Before he vanished, he lived in the town of Mengen, and investigators believe he may have spent time in Hamas training camps in Gaza. German security officials say they are deeply concerned that the country has become an operating area for Hamas rather than a protected space. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the threat is “daily and constant,” and a Berlin court has already ruled that Hamas is actively operating in Europe to prepare attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions.