Vienna authorities discovered a concealed arsenal believed connected to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, intended for "possible terrorist attacks in Europe," according to Thursday statements from Austria's government, the Associated Press reported. Austrian authorities discovered the weapons cache, believed to belong to unspecified foreign operations connected to Hamas, inside a suitcase within a rented Vienna storage room, containing five handguns and 10 accompanying magazines.
London police arrested a 39-year-old British citizen on Monday who allegedly has "having close ties to the weapons cache," according to the interior ministry's announcement detailed by the Associated Press. "According to the current state of the investigation, Israeli or Jewish institutions in Europe were likely to be the targets of these attacks," the ministry added.
Austria's Directorate for State Security and Intelligence Service, known as DSN, conducted an internationally coordinated probe "into a global terrorist organization with ties to Hamas" that revealed both the weapons cache and the suspect, the Associated Press reported. During the investigation, the ministry stated its intelligence service discovered "suspicion that a group has brought weapons into Austria to use in possible terrorist attacks in Europe."
Weapons cache linked to Hamas found in Vienna by Austria's intelligence servicehttps://t.co/vPH1q9v1NG
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) November 6, 2025
Germany's federal prosecutor's office identified the suspect as Mohammed A. on Thursday, in accordance with German privacy guidelines. Officials said he met twice with Abdel Al G., who German authorities arrested last month on suspicion of plotting attacks targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany. "On these occasions, Mohammed A. took over five handguns and ammunition from Abed Al G. He then transported the weapons to Austria and stored them in Vienna," the prosecutor's statement said, according to the Associated Press. "These actions served to prepare terrorist attacks on Israeli or Jewish facilities in Germany."
The prosecutor's statement noted "after his extradition from Great Britain," the suspect faces an appearance before an investigating judge at Germany's Federal Court of Justice, the Associated Press reported.
Hamas issued a statement denying any connection to the suspects arrested in Germany last month, characterizing the allegations of links to the group as baseless. The terrorist organization has executed hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians throughout the years, but has infrequently operated beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated, "The current case shows once again that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence has an excellent international network and takes consistent action against all forms of extremism." Karner added, "The mission is clear: zero tolerance for terrorists," the Associated Press reported.
