German Interior Ministry officials announced Thursday that police had conducted widespread raids on properties owned or occupied by members of Hamas or pro-Hamas groups.
The raids, which were said to have taken place early Thursday morning, included searches of 15 different properties across five federal states.
The Interior Ministry stated that the focus of the raids was on individuals suspected of membership in or support of either Hamas or Samidoun, a group otherwise known as the Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network.
Both Hamas and Samidoun are banned organizations in Germany, with Samidoun having been declared illegal on November 2 of this year following the group’s coordination of an event that celebrated Hamas’ atrocities against Israelis on October 7.
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Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said, “By banning Hamas and Samidoun in Germany, we have sent a clear signal that we will not tolerate any glorification or support of Hamas’ barbaric terror against Israel.”
Statements made by Interior Ministry officials said the raids were focused on targeting and weakening the groups’ propaganda and fundraising apparatus.
German authorities estimate there are roughly 450 Hamas members living in Germany. However, they said there had been no evidence of the group engaging in any acts of violence domestically.
Instead, officials report that Hamas’ domestic goals revolve around “trying to influence the political and social discourse.”
Germany’s strong actions against Hamas and its allies within the country align with the nation’s current and historical close relationship with Israel.
Propagating antisemitism or Nazi imagery, or denying Israeli’s right to exist, are all illegal in Germany as the German state maintains that it has a moral responsibility to support the Jewish people and Israel as a whole.