Tag: foreign terrorist organization

German conservative lawmaker Alexander Throm raised the question whether dual citizens convicted of terrorist acts on German soil should face easier revocation of their citizenship, following the arrest of three suspected Hamas operatives.

Currently, German law allows citizenship to be stripped if someone joins a foreign terrorist organization, Throm told the Handelsblatt business newspaper. “There is no reason why this should not also apply to terror acts committed in Germany,” he said.

The three suspects, including a naturalized Lebanese-born man and a naturalized Syrian-born man, were arrested in Berlin on Wednesday and are scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday.

Authorities say they acted as foreign operatives for Hamas, procuring an assault rifle, pistols and ammunition from Germany. The weapons were allegedly intended for attacks on Israeli or Jewish sites in Germany. They are said to have been procuring firearms and ammunition since at least the summer of 2025.

Hamas denied any connection, calling the claims baseless and an attempt to “harm the movement’s reputation and distort the German people’s sympathy with our Palestinian people.”

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said a terrorist suspect known to security authorities with links to Hamas had entered the country several months ago. It had been unclear who, or which event or facility, the planned attacks were targeting.

German authorities may revoke the citizenship of dual nationals involved in terrorist activities abroad to prevent their return and reduce potential security risks, as they fall outside the reach of the domestic justice system.

Individuals engaged in such activities within Germany, however, remain subject to prosecution and punishment under the country’s criminal laws.