Danish police say 7 arrested in December over foiled terror plot 'linked to Hamas'

Copenhagen prosecutor apparently backs up comments by Netanyahu, who accused Gaza-based terror group of involvement in plot against Jewish or Israeli targets

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Seven people suspected of involvement in a planned terror attack foiled by Danish authorities in December have links to the Islamist terror group Hamas, Danish police said Friday.

Danish prosecutor Anders Larsson has confirmed that the case “has links to Hamas,” Danish police told AFP in a statement.

The prosecutor was speaking in Denmark’s Eastern High Court on Friday as the case was being heard behind closed doors.

Police said on December 14 that they had arrested three people in Denmark suspected of planning a “terror” attack, but provided no other details.

A total of seven are now suspected of involvement.

The prosecutor’s statement appeared to back up comments by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said on December 14 that Denmark’s security forces had “thwarted an attack, the goal of which was to kill innocent civilians on European soil.”

“The Hamas terrorist organization has been working relentlessly and exhaustively to expand its lethal operations to Europe, and thereby constitute a threat to the domestic security of these countries,” Netanyahu said of the apparent plot against Jewish or Israeli targets.

Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said Friday that the alleged connection to Hamas “confirms that the threat against Denmark is serious, but luckily we have a strong police and intelligence service doing their best to protect us every day.”

In December, Israel updated travel warnings for dozens of countries, amid rising antisemitism and threats of violence against Israelis and Jews around the world as its war against Hamas in Gaza continues, sparked by the terror group’s October 7 massacres.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.