German authorities have arrested three men accused of planning armed attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in the country, prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday.
The suspects, identified only as Abed Al G, Wael F M, and Ahmad I, were detained in Berlin on Tuesday, a day before Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day. Prosecutors said two of the men hold German citizenship, while the third is Lebanese-born.
According to the federal prosecutor’s office, the men had allegedly been acquiring firearms and ammunition since the summer in preparation for the attacks.
During the arrests, investigators recovered an AK-47 assault rifle, several pistols, and a large cache of ammunition.
“The weapons were intended for use by Hamas in assassination attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany,” prosecutors said in a statement.
German media reported that the arrests took place as the men gathered for a weapons handover in Berlin. Police also carried out searches in Leipzig and Oberhausen in connection with the case.
The suspects are charged with preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state and with membership in a foreign terrorist organization. They are expected to appear before a federal judge on Thursday.
Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organization by the European Union, denied any involvement in the alleged plot.
In a statement, the group described the allegations as “baseless” and accused Germany of attempting to “undermine the German people’s sympathy for the Palestinian people.”
The arrests come amid heightened security concerns in Europe.
In February, four Hamas operatives went on trial in Berlin over a separate case involving alleged plots to target Jewish sites across the continent.
Germany arrests three suspected Hamas members over alleged plot to attack Jewish institutions