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German prosecutor says Hamas planned Oct. 7 anniversary attack in Europe

Since the autumn of 2025, prosecutors have arranged the arrests of nine Hamas suspects.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Europe is increasingly being targeted as a potential location for terrorist attacks rather than solely as a base for financing extremist groups, Germany’s top federal prosecutor said Tuesday, citing an investigation that uncovered alleged Hamas plans for an attack around the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

German Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel outlined the findings during his office’s annual press conference in Karlsruhe.

The prosecutor’s office later provided The Jerusalem Post with a transcript of his remarks.

Investigators found a prerecorded video in the possession of one suspect claiming responsibility for a planned attack timed to coincide with Oct. 7, 2025, Rommel said.

Authorities believe the suspects had been moving weapons and ammunition since at least the summer of 2025.

Since the autumn of 2025, prosecutors have arranged the arrests of nine Hamas suspects.

While the investigation centered on Germany, arrests also took place in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and, most recently, Denmark.

Prosecutors also examined activity in Vienna, where one suspect allegedly kept a cache of weapons.

Rommel said Hamas terrorists preparing attacks in Europe rely on networks that extend beyond the organization itself.

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“Rather, Germany and other European countries are now increasingly being viewed as operational areas for possible attacks,” he said.

“This becomes particularly evident in the case of Hamas. To prepare attacks in Europe, their foreign operatives, sympathizers, or individuals connected to organized crime acquire and smuggle weapons.

“They often hold European citizenship or residence permits within the Schengen Area, allowing them to move freely. They are highly mobile and extensively networked, and some possess significant financial resources.”

Rommel said German prosecutors coordinate with security and law enforcement agencies in Germany and abroad, including pursuing arrests and extraditions outside the country when required.

He cited a December 2023 case in which four men were arrested in Germany and, in one instance, the Netherlands. Prosecutors said they managed underground weapons caches established years earlier for future attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions.

In February 2026, the Kammergericht Berlin sentenced all four to prison terms ranging from five to seven years for membership in a foreign terrorist organization.

Rommel also referenced a separate Hezbollah prosecution. A Lebanese national was charged in September with purchasing military drone components, particularly engines, in Germany and other European countries for Hezbollah in transactions worth about 1 million euros.

One of those engines was later confirmed to have been used in an attack on a nursing home in Israel. The Higher Regional Court of Celle sentenced the defendant in March 2026 to six and a half years in prison.