Hamas planned Oct 7-style attack in Europe on 2nd anniversary of massacre – report

The Hamas terrorist organization planned to carry out a large-scale terror attack on Jewish or Israeli targets in Europe to coincide with the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre in Israel, according to a report by the Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) this week.

The report came on the heels of the latest in a series of arrests of Hamas operatives in Europe, highlighting the consistent efforts by the terror group to exploit the ability to easily travel within the European Union to coordinate attacks and create weapon depots.

In early June, Greece's special forces arrested a 37-year-old Egyptian of Palestinian origin on the island of Crete. Police also found specialized equipment for the manufacture of bombs in his Athens apartment, including the necessary chemicals. The arrest came after Cypriot police arrested two other Palestinians who had been in contact with him.

The cell apparently planned to attack an Israeli cruise ship, which has drawn repeated media attention after partly violent anti-Israel protests targeted it.

Hamas officials and supporters have often claimed that the terror group is only really present in the Gaza Strip, where its aim is the ostensible fight against Israeli occupation. They have used this argument to criticize Israeli military operations in Judea and Samaria and Lebanon, arguing that such actions are not directly connected to the war in Gaza.

However, this is far from the truth. The Greek-Cypriot cell was reportedly in direct contact with Hamas’ military wing in Lebanon, where the group has built a strong presence in recent years.

The Lebanon branch, built under the leadership of the late Saleh al-Arouri, is reportedly deeply involved in the terror group’s efforts to establish a network of operatives throughout Europe, with a special focus on Germany.

Since last October, the German Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has arrested nine operatives in Germany, as well as Cyprus, Denmark, London, and Vienna.

Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel told NZZ he believes this network was hoarding weapons and planning an attack on Jewish or Israeli targets in Europe, with a pre-recorded video claiming responsibility for the thwarted attack being planned for Oct. 7, 2025.

One man arrested in London last November was reportedly the son of senior Hamas official Bassem Naim. His arrest, along with three others in Berlin at the end of last year, prompted Hamas to deny any ties to the detainees.

The terror group said the claim was “without any basis and aims to tarnish the reputation of the movement and undermine the sympathy of the German people for our Palestinian people.”

The Hamas network is believed to have transported at least 13 pistols, one AK-47 assault rifle, and more than 900 rounds of ammunition through Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria – all part of the Schengen area where there are no controls at the common internal borders.

In addition, in November 2025, Austria's Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) discovered one of the weapons caches hidden in Vienna, noting the weapons were intended for “possible terrorist attacks in Europe,” and that “Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe were the intended targets of the planned attacks.”

The Israeli embassy in Vienna responded by thanking the authorities, emphasizing, “Hamas is not only a threat to Israel or Jews. It is a regional and global danger to all who value freedom and security.”

While this latest plot was apparently inspired by Oct. 7 and as part of the ongoing war against Israel, Hamas’ plans to prepare weapons for terror attacks in Europe began years earlier.

In May, four Hamas members were sentenced in Berlin to prison terms ranging from four to six years for allegedly building a logistical network to support potential attacks on Jewish or Israeli targets in Germany and other European countries. The suspects, who were arrested in December 2023, had reportedly established multiple weapons caches across Europe.

Terrorism expert Michael Götschenberg told state broadcaster ARD at the time, “For years, Germany's domestic intelligence service (the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) assumed that Hamas merely used Germany as a safe haven and was not planning attacks on German soil.”

“It appears that Hamas is now relying on organized crime networks in Europe when it comes to acquiring weapons,” he explained, “possibly also in its search for individuals who can carry out attacks for the organization in Germany.”

“Attacks by Hamas – particularly against Jewish and Israeli institutions in Germany – are now considered a real and ongoing threat,” he concluded.