Why is Hamas considered a threat to Germany’s security?
Germany, and particularly its security authorities, views Hamas with deep suspicion, anticipating a complex danger likely to increase in the coming period.
This was the conclusion of briefings presented by the heads of the security services during a parliamentary hearing in the Bundestag this week, where multiple agencies warned of the risks posed by the Palestinian movement to national security.
According to the session, Hamas stores weapons, plans attacks, and uses Germany as a safe haven.
Despite peace talks in the Middle East, the Palestinian organization remains “extremely dangerous,” according to the heads of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence) and the German Federal Intelligence Service.
A safe haven
Sinan Selen, president of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution (53), stated: “I cannot in any way give a signal of safety… Germany continues to serve as a haven and infrastructure base for Hamas.”
Martin Jäger, head of the German intelligence agency (61), warned that if Hamas is pushed back in Gaza or forced underground, its activities could expand: “This will affect the Arab region, but it will certainly also impact Europe.”
Looking at the numbers highlights the seriousness of the situation: according to the authorities, 32,500 Islamists currently live in Germany, a 6% increase from last year.
The most recent report by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, revealed that the number of Hamas leadership figures in Germany reached 550 in 2024, up significantly from 450 the previous year.
The report added: “The situation in Germany depends heavily on developments in the Middle East, especially in Gaza. Hamas’s actions, Israeli military operations, and the humanitarian conditions there also affect many people here, influencing gatherings and serving as a starting point for extremist incitement and propaganda.”
It continued: “As a result of the Middle East conflict, the activities of Hamas and Hezbollah have intensified and expanded, including within Germany.”
Fundraising
The report further explained that “although supporters of both organizations do not generally appear in public, Hamas and Hezbollah’s activities in Germany have focused especially on financing. The pressure of legal prosecution and the ban on their activities have led to a shift in fundraising methods.”
“Fundraising campaigns have now become extremely discreet. They are conducted mainly under the cover of charitable work or through individuals launching private campaigns online. Fundraising has increased in the context of the Middle East conflict.”
On the ground, Hamas’s threat in Germany became evident during a raid in early October in Berlin, when special forces arrested three individuals suspected of supporting the movement.
They seized a Glock pistol, an AK-47 assault rifle, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. These weapons were intended to be used in attacks on Jewish institutions in Germany.
The suspects include a 36-year-old German of Lebanese descent, a 43-year-old Lebanese, and a 44-year-old German of Syrian origin.
