BERLIN (Reuters) -A British citizen suspected of helping obtain and store weapons for attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in Europe was arrested in London on a German arrest warrant earlier
British Citizen Arrested for Alleged Hamas Weapons Trafficking
Arrest of Alleged Hamas Operative in London
BERLIN (Reuters) -A British citizen suspected of helping obtain and store weapons for attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in Europe was arrested in London on a German arrest warrant earlier this week, German prosecutors said.
Details of the Arrest
Germany's Federal Prosecutor said in a statement on Thursday that the man, named only as Mohammed A. for privacy reasons, was a member of the Hamas militant group and had twice met a fellow member in Berlin over the summer. He had been given five handguns and ammunition, which he transported to Vienna for storage.
Connections to Other Alleged Operatives
"The purpose of the activity was to prepare deadly attacks by Hamas on Israeli or Jewish establishments in Germany and Europe," the German prosecutors said.
Background on Hamas Activities in Europe
His Berlin contact, the German citizen Abed Al G., was one of three alleged Hamas "foreign operatives" detained last month on suspicion of attempting to procure weapons for the attacks. Police seized an AK-47 assault rifle, handguns and ammunition during their arrests.
Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza since October 2023 after the militant group launched an assault on Israel.
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt, additional reporting by Michael Holden in London; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
