COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) 鈥 Denmark and Germany announced Thursday arrests of several terror suspects, including alleged Hamas members suspected of plotting attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions in Europe over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The announcements were issued separately and it was unclear how the arrests were connected and if they were the result of coordinated actions, or even possibly one operation spanning the continent.
Danish police said three people were arrested across Denmark while a fourth person was detained in the Netherlands on suspicion of plotting to carry out 鈥渁n act of terror.鈥
Officials in Copenhagen did not provide any details beyond saying the arrests had 鈥渢hreads abroad鈥 and were 鈥渞elated to criminal gangs,鈥 singling out the banned, predominantly immigrant gang Loyal to Familia that had long been behind feuds, violence, robberies, extortion and drug sales in the Danish capital.
However, Flemming Drejer, the operative head of Denmark鈥檚 Security and Intelligence Service, cryptically said police had 鈥渁 special focus鈥 on Jewish institutions. He said Denmark was not changing its terror threat level, which has been at 鈥渟erious,鈥 the second-highest level, since 2010.
鈥漃ersons abroad have been charged. ... It is a serious situation,鈥 Drejer told a news conference, adding that the arrests were carried out in "collaboration with our foreign partners鈥 and that those arrested were part of 鈥渁 network.鈥
The suspects would face a custody hearing within 24 hours, he said, likely behind 鈥渄ouble closed doors鈥 鈥 meaning he could not give any details about the case.
"This is extremely serious," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Thursday from Brussels where she was attending a European Union summit.
鈥淚t is of course completely unacceptable in relation to Israel and Gaza, that there is someone who takes a conflict somewhere else in the world into Danish society,鈥 she added.
In the Netherlands, police said a 57-year-old Dutch man was arrested in the city of Rotterdam, based on a request from German authorities, according to spokesman Jesse Brobbel. On Tuesday, , saying the possibility of an attack in the country is now 鈥渟ubstantial.鈥
In Germany, authorities said three suspected members of the who were allegedly planning attacks on Jewish institutions in Europe were arrested on Thursday.
Two men were arrested in Berlin and one in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, while a fourth suspect was temporarily detained in Berlin, Germany鈥檚 federal prosecutor said. Authorities only identified the men by their first names and the first initial of their last name, in line with German privacy rules.
The four were Abdelhamid Al A., born in Lebanon; Egyptian national Mohamed B.; Dutch national Nazih R. and Ibrahim El-R., born in Lebanon.
The authorities alleged three of the men "have been longstanding members of Hamas and have participated in Hamas operations abroad.鈥 They said the suspect were 鈥渃losely linked to the military branch鈥檚 leadership鈥 of Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann thanked the authorities for the arrests and said that 鈥渁ttacks on Jews and Jewish institutions have also increased in our country in recent weeks鈥 due to the .
It was not immediately clear if and how the Danish and the German arrests were connected.
In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 office lauded what it said were seven Hamas suspects arrested in Europe, but attributed the arrests to Danish police.
The prime minister's office said Denmark had arrested seven operatives acting on behalf of Hamas and 鈥渢hwarted an attack aimed at killing innocent citizens on European soil.鈥 Netanyahu鈥檚 office said Israel鈥檚 intelligence agencies 鈥渨ill continue to operate ... in order to repel the intentions of Hamas and eliminate its capabilities.鈥
The discrepancies between the Danish, German and Israeli statements could not immediately be resolved.
Earlier this month, the European Union鈥檚 home affairs commissioner, Ylva Johansson, warned that Europe faced a 鈥渉uge risk of terrorist attacks鈥 over the Christmas holiday period due to the .
Denmark鈥檚 foreign intelligence service, known as FE, said Thursday in its annual assessment for 2023 that 鈥渢he war between Israel and Hamas has once again shown that unresolved conflicts in Europe鈥檚 immediate area can escalate rapidly and create widespread regional instability.鈥
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Grieshaber reported from Berlin.
