Four suspected members of Hamas arrested in Europe over alleged terrorism plot
In 2017, four suspected members of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas were arrested in a coordinated operation by several European countries in a suspected terrorism plot. The group had been planning to carry out attacks in the West Bank against Israeli security forces, as well as against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe.
The operation, which included authorities from France, Spain, and Belgium, was based on intelligence that the group had been planning to attack Israeli targets in Europe as part of an international campaign.
The suspects are believed to have ties to Hamas’ military wing, the Iz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and had been raising funds for the group’s activities.
In addition to the arrests, police also conducted raids in multiple European countries, confiscating computers to search for evidence of the attempted attacks.
The identities of the suspects have not been officially released, but Italian media have identified them as Palestinian citizens of Israel, Mustafa Mohammed Abu Zikriz, Khaled Abu Sakka, and Ghulam Hassan Mahmoud. A fourth suspect, Yahya Alkaisi, is believed to be a Jordanian citizen.
No attacks were ultimately carried out as a result of the alleged plot, and the suspects are currently awaiting trial in European courts.