German prosecutors have charged seven people with obtaining weapons for Hamas and plotting attacks in Germany and Austria timed near the Oct. 7 anniversary. Authorities allege the Qassam Brigades built arms depots across Europe; seized materiel included an automatic rifle, 13 pistols and 700+ rounds. Reports say one accused served as an informant while allegedly aiding procurement. Experts and officials warn the case underscores growing militant networks and the need for coordinated counterterrorism efforts.
German Indictment Alleges Hamas Stockpiled Arms Across Europe, Planned October Attacks
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German federal prosecutors have charged seven people accused of procuring weapons for the Palestinian militant group Hamas and of planning attacks in Europe timed around the Oct. 7 anniversary. The indictment raises concerns about an alleged network that prosecutors say established arms depots across Europe and targeted Israeli, Jewish and pro-Israel individuals and representatives.
Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe: A civilian police vehicle drives into the Federal Court of Justice, where a detention hearing was to take place, Nov 13, 2025.
Indictment Details
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, all seven defendants "belong to the foreign terrorist organization Hamas." Prosecutors say the group's military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has been creating weapons depots in Europe and that, by July 2025, operatives had planned a concrete assassination in Germany or Austria targeting Israeli representatives, people of Jewish faith, or pro-Israel individuals. The seven suspects were arrested between October 2025 and May 2026.
Hamas terrorists stand guard on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 22, 2025.
Named Suspects And Arrests
The indictment lists defendants by nationality and partial names in keeping with German privacy rules: German national Abed Al G.; Danish national Yousif C.; Lebanon-born Borhan El-K.; Lebanon-born Wael F.M.; German national Ahmad I.; Lebanon-born Kamel M.; and Bulgarian national Mohammad S. Authorities say the alleged plot was to take place in early October 2025, close to the second anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 assault.
Memorials at the site of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack on the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re'im, Israel, on May 27, 2024.
Weapons Cache And Logistics
Prosecutors report that the suspects had obtained a functional fully automatic rifle, 13 working pistols and more than 700 rounds of ammunition. A separate defendant, Mohammed A., is accused of transporting some weapons to Vienna for storage. German reporting indicates parts of the operation involved cross-border procurement and storage.
Demonstrators wave flags and carry portraits of slain leaders during a rally in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 2, 2024.
Informant Allegations
German newspaper Die Welt reported that one accused individual acted as a confidential informant for Germany's domestic intelligence service while allegedly concealing the full extent of his involvement in acquiring ammunition for the network. Court files reportedly show ongoing contact between that individual and his intelligence handler.
A man is led by two federal police officers to two waiting emergency vehicles, after the Federal Public Prosecutor General had three suspected members of Hamas arrested in 2025.
Intelligence Assessments And Official Response
Germany's domestic intelligence service estimated up to 650 Hamas operatives were active in Germany in 2025, up from earlier years; the report noted figures are partly estimated and rounded. It also estimated roughly 1,250 Hezbollah operatives in the country. The Interior Ministry emphasized that Hamas has been banned in Germany since November 2, 2023, and Hezbollah since April 30, 2020, and said federal and state authorities continuously investigate leads and apply countermeasures under the rule of law.
Hamas terrorists and Palestinians gather to watch the handover of three Israeli hostages to a Red Cross team in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025.
Expert Commentary And International Reaction
Journalist Sascha Adamek, author of a 2026 book on political Islam, criticized earlier German toleration of Hamas-linked fundraising and recruitment as allowing radicalization to take root. Matthew Levitt, a scholar at the Washington Institute, said the case fits a pattern of the Qassam Brigades overseeing European operations with ties to senior Hamas leadership and noted that one arrested individual is reportedly the son of senior Hamas figure Basem Naim.
Israel's Foreign Ministry highlighted the indictment on social media, stating prosecutors uncovered plots in Berlin and Vienna and alleged coordination from other countries. Israel's ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, warned that the case shows Hamas remains a serious security threat requiring coordinated responses.
Implications
The charges and related reporting have intensified scrutiny of European counterterrorism efforts and cross-border procurement networks allegedly linking operatives in Lebanon, Turkey and elsewhere to cells on the continent. German authorities say investigations are ongoing as prosecutors pursue cases and security services monitor potential threats.
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