A court in Berlin has sentenced four men to prison terms ranging from four and a half to six years for membership in a foreign terrorist organization and related offenses, linked to a Hamas cell. Presiding judge Doris Husch stated that the Federal Prosecutor's Office's accusations were confirmed "to the full satisfaction of the Senate," indicating the court's agreement with prosecutors that the men acted as foreign operatives for Hamas's military wing, the Qassam Brigades.

The court ruled that the defendants had gathered and stored weapons for potential use in terror attacks targeting Israeli, Jewish, or other facilities across Europe, including in Germany. Specific potential targets cited included the Israeli embassy in Berlin, the US Ramstein airbase, and the area around Berlin's disused Tempelhof airport. The weapon caches were reportedly located in several European countries, such as Poland, Bulgaria, and Denmark.

The four men, aged 36 to 58, were born in Lebanon, with one holding Egyptian citizenship and another Dutch nationality. Three had primarily resided in Germany, while one lived mainly in the Netherlands. They were arrested in December 2023 and have remained in custody since. The main accused admitted to visiting an arms cache in Bulgaria but claimed it was related to "private arms dealing," denying any membership in Hamas.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office received a tip from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution shortly after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. In recent months, prosecutors have arrested several more suspects in connection with alleged arms procurement for Hamas. According to investigators, the weapons were also intended for attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany and Europe, highlighting ongoing security concerns in the region.

Source: www.dw.com