The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office released a graphic containing the purported Hamas network in Europe.
Israel announced on Saturday that it has uncovered a Hamas terror network operating in Europe, revealing details about the organization’s attempts to carry out attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets abroad. The intelligence agencies Mossad and Shin Bet, in collaboration with foreign partners, released information on the network’s activities.
While specific details were not provided, the PMO mentioned that the uncovered network had plans to attack Israel’s embassy in Sweden, acquire UAVs, and collaborate with criminal organizations in Europe to support their operations.
Several high-ranking commanders of the Lebanon-based group, including Saleh al-Arouri and Khalil Harraz, were reportedly killed in recent airstrikes attributed to Israel. The focus of these operations extends beyond Gaza, with Israel pursuing Hamas in various locations.
In December, Danish, German, and Dutch authorities arrested Hamas cells suspected of plotting attacks on Jewish targets in Europe. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that through collaborative efforts, a comprehensive understanding of Hamas’s plans in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East has been developed.
Saleh al-Arouri, a long-wanted figure by Israel and considered a key orchestrator of Hamas’s terrorism in the West Bank, was killed earlier this month in a strike in the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh. Israel has refrained from commenting on the incident, but unnamed U.S. officials claimed Israeli responsibility.
Israel has pledged to target all Hamas leaders following the group’s attack on October 7, which resulted in the death of approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of over 240 others. A large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip was launched in late October with the objective of destroying Hamas, leading to ongoing conflicts in different parts of the region.
Khalil Harraz, Hamas’s deputy commander in Lebanon, was killed in a November strike in Lebanon, also attributed to Israel.
On Friday, Danish police revealed that seven individuals linked to Hamas were suspected of involvement in a foiled terror attack planned in December. The alleged plot, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, aimed to harm innocent civilians on European soil, particularly those associated with Jewish or Israeli targets.
Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard emphasized the seriousness of the threat but expressed confidence in the country’s strong police and intelligence services working to protect against such dangers. In response to escalating antisemitism and threats against Israelis and Jews globally, Israel updated travel warnings for numerous countries in December, coinciding with its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
