Rotterdam resident arrested in antiterrorism operation suspected of being a Hamas member

The Rotterdam resident arrested on Thursday morning in Rotterdam-Zuid as part of an anti-terrorism operation is suspected of being "a long-standing member" of Hamas. This was reported by the German Public Prosecution Service on Thursday afternoon, which stated that a total of four suspected Hamas members were arrested that day, suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

According to the German Public Prosecution Service, the man arrested in Rotterdam by the Dutch police is a Dutch national named Nazih R. The three other suspects are Abdelhamid Al A. and Ibrahim El-R, both born in Lebanon, and Mohamed B., an Egyptian national. They were arrested in Berlin by the Berlin police.

They are "strongly suspected" of being members of the Hamas organization. Hamas has been recognized by the European Union as a Palestinian terrorist organization. Shortly after Hamas launched its invasion from the Gaza Strip into Israel on October 7, Prime Minister Mark Rutte referred to the perpetrators as “terrorists” who attacked civilians. Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot referred to the actions as being “terrorist attacks.”

The German Public Prosecution Service reported that Abdelhamid Al A., Mohamed B., Ibrahim El-R., and Nazih R. have been "long-standing members" of Hamas and have participated in operations abroad for the organization. “They are closely linked to the military branch’s leadership,” it stated in a press release.

Abdelhamid Al A., acting on behalf of Hamas, began searching for a weapons cache in Europe by spring 2023, following orders from Hamas leaders in Lebanon to transport the weapons to Berlin. These were to be kept ready for potential terrorist attacks against Jewish institutions in Europe. In October 2023, Abdelhamid Al A., Mohamed B., and Nazih R., assisted by Ibrahim El-R., made several trips from Berlin in search of these weapons.

The three suspects arrested in Germany will be arraigned on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, Danish authorities held a press conference to announce the arrests of three suspects in Denmark as part of an anti-terrorism operation. Whether there is a connection to the three arrested in Germany is not clear, according to Danish media.

While Danish, German, and Dutch authorities have not specified whether the seven arrests in Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands are connected, the Prime Minister's Office of Israel suggested in a message posted on X that all the individuals are members of Hamas, whose goal "to kill innocent civilians on European soil."

The Danish police said on Thursday they will maintain a heightened presence over the coming days, especially around Jewish institutions. The threat level in Denmark has been at level four out of five for several years. Authorities believe the risk has increased due to deliberate damage to Korans by activists this year.

The National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism in the Netherlands raised the terrorism threat level this week, calling the threat “substantial.” The office specifically noted that they know of an increase in calls issued by jihadist groups to carry out attacks, in part due to the escalation of violence in Israel and the Gaza Strip. The threat level was intensified to level four of five.

Germany’s Federal Office for Defense Protection (BfV) similarly warned late last month of the need for a higher threat level due to the war in Gaza. They cautioned of more threats from militant pro-Palestinians and jihadists who could target the Jewish community. Aside from the violence in Gaza having a strong impact on many people, the BfV said that it could potentially lead to radicalization.

The BfV also warned that right-wing extremists could target Jewish institutions, and could also use the situation to incite violence against immigrants and Muslim people.