Four suspected Hamas members suspected of plotting terrorist attacks on European soil have been arrested by German and Dutch authorities, German federal prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday.
Three people were arrested in Germany and one in the Netherlands on suspicion of planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe, the public prosecutor's office said.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and other nations.
Reacting to the news of the arrests, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser thanked German and Dutch police authorities, saying that it “shows that our security authorities are extremely vigilant and are acting consistently.”
“The protection of Jews is our top priority. We use all constitutional means against those who threaten the lives of Jews and the existence of the State of Israel,” said Faeser.
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann also thanked the authorities for the “successful investigations,” which “contributed to ensuring that Jews in Europe can continue to live in security and peace.”
The incident came after the EU Home Affairs Commissioner warned that the war between Israel and Hamas had increased polarization within European society.
In the meantimeThe news came as Denmark and the Netherlands arrested four more people suspected of terrorist offenses.
However, Danish intelligence told CNN that these cases had “no direct connection” to the arrests of suspected Hamas members by German and Dutch authorities.
A spokesman for the Danish secret service told CNN that there was “no direct connection between the terrorism arrests made in Denmark and the aforementioned case regarding Hamas-affiliated individuals arrested in Germany.”