Hundreds of police officers on Thursday searched the properties of Hamas members and followers in Germany, following a formal ban on any activity by or in support of the group, The Associated Press reports.
The German government implemented the ban on November 2 and also dissolved Samidoun, a group that was behind a celebration in Berlin of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
A number of members of groups which support Hamas and Samidoun have fled Germany for Switzerland since the German government’s announcement that the groups will be outlawed.
Germany’s domestic intelligence service estimates that Hamas has around 450 members in the country. Their activities range from expressions of sympathy and propaganda activities to financing and fundraising activities to strengthen the organization abroad, according to AP.
“We are continuing our consistent action against radical Islamists,” German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Thursday. “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.”
The raids, which mostly took place in Berlin, were meant to enforce the bans and to further investigate the groups, the German interior ministry said in a statement.
A total of 16 properties were searched by 500 police officers in Berlin and the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
In Berlin alone, more than 300 police officers carried out searches at 11 locations in order to seize evidence and assets, according to AP. Seven searches were related to Hamas and four to Samidoun. The searches mainly took place at the homes of supporters and the premises of a Palestinian association, German news agency dpa reported.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed support for Israel since the October 7 attack. He visited Israel in the early days of the war, meeting with Netanyahu and with Herzog.
The Chancellor also felt firsthand what Israelis are going through, when a rocket barrage was launched at Tel Aviv and central Israel as he was preparing to depart from Ben Gurion Airport, prompting the evacuation of the Chancellor's plane.
Scholz recently said he opposed an "immediate" ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, explaining that would allow Hamas to recover and obtain new missiles to fire on Israel.