Austria Investigates Hamas Amid Wider European Crackdown
Austria has opened investigations into the Islamist militant group Hamas, the Interior Ministry confirmed Thursday, following reports in Israeli media. Officials said evidence had already been secured, but withheld further details, citing ongoing inquiries by the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN), according to ORF News.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner hailed the operation as proof of Austria’s renewed determination to combat extremism. “The DSN has once again demonstrated its high level of investigative competence in the determined fight against every form of extremism,” Karner said in a statement, adding that the country’s restored international credibility played a crucial role.
State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried likewise called the probe a significant moment. “This is an important signal against Islamist terrorism in Austria,” he said.
Berlin Arrests Tie In
The Austrian investigation is believed to be linked to a recent German case. Earlier this month, three Hamas operatives were arrested in Berlin on suspicion of attempting to secure weapons—including an assault rifle, pistols, and ammunition—for potential attacks.
According to Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the weapons were intended to be used by Hamas to carry out killings against Israeli or Jewish institutions on German soil. While investigators found no evidence of an imminent attack, they stressed that the cell’s activities posed a serious threat.
The operation that led to the Berlin arrests stretched across several countries, Israeli media reported. According to Ynet, Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad cooperated closely with German services, leading not only to the Berlin detentions but also to further arrests outside Germany.
The developments highlight the growing concern across Europe over Hamas’s attempts to establish operational networks beyond the Middle East. For Vienna, Berlin, and their allies, the cases signal both the persistence of the threat and the expanding scope of intelligence cooperation aimed at stopping it.
