Attacks planned underground?: Hamas members stand trial in Berlin

In 2023, four suspected members of Hamas are arrested in Berlin and Rotterdam. They are said to have already made preparations for attacks in Europe on the orders of the terrorist organization. Now they must answer to the court.

The trial against four suspected members of the radical Islamic Hamas has begun in Berlin under increased security precautions. It began with the reading of the indictment. The men are accused of membership in a terrorist organization.

At the behest of the leadership of Hamas' military wing, they are said to have set up several firearms depots for possible attacks on Jewish, Israeli and other facilities in Europe. According to the indictment by the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the four accused were active as so-called foreign operators of the so-called Kassam Brigades of Hamas in Europe and worked on setting up a logistical network for possible attacks.

In December 2023, the Federal Prosecutor's Office had three of the men arrested in Berlin and one in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. They have been in custody since then. According to the court, two of the defendants were born in Lebanon, one is an Egyptian citizen and one is a Dutch citizen.

Hamas wants to destroy Israel

The State Security Chamber of the Berlin Higher Regional Court has initially scheduled dates for the trial until December 17. According to a court spokeswoman, presiding judge Doris Husch has so far scheduled the first witnesses for the second day of the trial on March 5. In total, the prosecution lists around 50 witnesses and several experts.

Hamas's declared goal is the destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic theocracy in the Middle East. The organization is responsible for the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 people were taken hostage. The unprecedented attack triggered the Gaza War.