From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 1 hour ago, updated 33 minutes ago
Members of German special police units stand ready to intervene at the Islamic Center Hamburg, suspected of supporting the militant group Hezbollah, in Frankfurt, Germany, November 16, 2023. MAXIMILIAN SCHWARZ / Portal
The threat of attack is “real” and “at the highest level in a long time,” said Thomas Haldenwang, head of the German domestic secret service.
The German domestic secret service warned on Wednesday, November 29th, of the “real” and “highest for a long time” risk of Islamist attacks in the country due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
“We are seeing calls in the jihadist movement for attacks and for al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) to enter the Middle East conflict,” said Thomas Haldenwang, head of the German domestic intelligence service, in a press release.
This public warning from this organization, rare in Germany, highlights the concerns of the authorities, who fear possible “plans (attacks) against the safety of Jews, Israeli institutions, but also large public events” in the country. “The danger is real and hasn’t been that great for a long time,” said Thomas Haldenwang.
Other dangers highlighted
Since the beginning of the war, German authorities have been concerned about the spread of the conflict to their country, triggered by the Palestinian Islamist movement’s bloody attack on Israeli soil from the Gaza Strip on October 7. According to Israel, 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in this attack and around 240 people were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip. In retaliation, Israel, seeking to “destroy” Hamas, relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip until a ceasefire came into effect on Friday. According to the Hamas government, nearly 15,000 people were killed in these Israeli attacks.
On November 2, Germany specifically banned activities on its territory linked to Hamas, particularly those of the Samidoun Association. This network claims to support Palestinian prisoners and, in particular, distributed pastries in Berlin to celebrate “the victory of the resistance” after the October 7 attack.
The secret service also points to other dangers, such as “Palestinian extremists, Turkish right-wing extremists and German and Turkish left-wing extremists” who “spread hatred, hate speech, propaganda or fake news on social networks” about the conflict. At the same time, “German right-wing extremists are taking advantage of the current situation to incite hatred against Muslims and migrants,” according to the secret service.
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