“We have the Islamist scene in our sights,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. (File)
Frankfurt:
Hundreds of police Thursday raided properties across Germany over suspected links to the Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah group, authorities said, as Berlin moves to stem a rash of anti-Semitism amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The raids targeting 54 sites came after Germany banned Hamas activities and related organisations, in the wake of the deadly October 7 attack carried out by the Islamist group in Israel.
“We have the Islamist scene in our sights,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
“At a time when numerous Jews feel particularly threatened” Germany will “not tolerate neither Islamist propaganda nor anti-Semitist incitement hostile to Israel,” she added.
Thursday’s operation targeted the Hamburg Islamic Centre and five affiliated groups, with police searching properties in six of Germany’s 16 states including Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Hesse, Berlin, Baden-Wuerttemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Hamburg Islamic Centre had already been under surveillance by domestic intelligence, and the interior ministry believes its activities are “aimed at spreading the revolutionary concept of (Iran’s) supreme leaders, something that is suspected to violate Germany’s constitutional order”.
No arrests were made during the raids, which were carried out to secure evidence on the suspicion that the Hamburg centre and the affiliated groups back the activities of Hezbollah.
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