VIENNA, Austria — European authorities have arrested a British national and seized weapons in Vienna in connection with an alleged Hamas-linked terror plot targeting Jewish institutions across Europe, officials confirmed on Thursday.
Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) led the operation, which uncovered weapons believed to have been smuggled into the country as part of preparations for possible attacks.
The Austrian Interior Ministry said the seizure followed intelligence into “a globally active terrorist organisation with close ties to Hamas.”
“There is a suspicion that a group has brought weapons to Austria to have them ready for possible terrorist attacks,” the ministry stated, noting that the targets were “Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe in particular.”
The 39-year-old British suspect was arrested in London on Monday by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) at the request of German prosecutors, who are seeking his extradition. The NCA confirmed to AFP that the man is expected to appear before a London court on November 10.
German prosecutors said the suspect is accused of belonging to Hamas and of transporting the weapons to Vienna. Investigators believe he was in contact with one of three men arrested in Germany last month on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks against Jewish targets.
Those arrests, made in Berlin and the North Rhine-Westphalia region, were part of a broader investigation into a network allegedly preparing violent acts on European soil. Hamas has denied any involvement with the suspects.
The arrests come amid heightened security across Europe following a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations and threats against Jewish communities since the escalation of the Israel–Hamas conflict.
Several European nations, including Germany and France, have tightened security around synagogues, Jewish schools, and Israeli embassies.
Austria’s Interior Minister Gerhard Karner praised the intelligence-led collaboration between European law enforcement agencies, calling it “a decisive step in preventing potential acts of terror and protecting Jewish life in Europe.”
Authorities in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom say investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the network’s reach and to identify other possible accomplices.
