Hamas Weapons Depot Uncovered in Vienna Storage Room

In the course of investigations against a globally operating terrorist organization with ties to Hamas, a weapons cache was uncovered in Vienna. It is suspected that the weapons were intended for possible terrorist attacks in Europe against Israeli or Jewish facilities, the Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) announced on Thursday. A 39-year-old Briton was arrested as a suspect on Monday in London.

Arrested individual to be extradited to Germany

The arrest took place as part of the internationally coordinated investigations. In a suitcase in a rented storage room in Vienna, five handguns and ten associated magazines were secured. The weapons cache is attributed to foreign operational structures of the terrorist organization Hamas, according to the DSN. The exact location of the seizure was not disclosed by the authorities due to ongoing investigations.

The man arrested on Monday in the United Kingdom is to be extradited to Germany, according to British media reports. In early October, three suspected Hamas supporters were arrested there. The German Federal Prosecutor's Office accuses the three men of procuring weapons and ammunition for attacks on behalf of Hamas. According to information from the British broadcaster ITV, the British citizen arrested on Monday is the son of a leading Hamas representative.

As the German Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe announced in a statement on Thursday, the Briton met one of the three men in Berlin in the summer of 2025 and received weapons and ammunition from him. He then transported them to Austria and stored them in Vienna. According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, this action was intended to prepare for murder attacks by Hamas on Israeli or Jewish facilities in Germany and Europe. The accused is to be brought before the investigating judge of the Federal Court of Justice after his transfer to Germany.

"Zero Tolerance Towards Terrorists"

"The current case shows once again: The Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence Service is excellently networked internationally and consistently acts against all forms of extremism. The mandate is clear: zero tolerance towards terrorists," emphasized Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) according to the release. State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ) added: "The dedicated actions and careful investigative work of the DSN have significantly contributed to this successful weapons discovery - a strong sign of their professionalism and their commitment to the safety of our fellow citizens."

The Israeli embassy in Vienna pointed out on Thursday that the weapons discovery is "an indication that Hamas is not only a threat to Israel and the Jewish people, but to all of us. Hamas is not just a regional danger, but an integral part of the global network of terrorism that wants to strike wherever freedom and democracy prevail," it said in a release. "Only if we ensure that such terrorist groups are permanently disarmed and prevented from rebuilding their capacities can we guarantee security and stability in the Middle East, in Europe, and beyond," Ambassador David Roet was quoted as saying.

FPÖ Rages: Vienna as a Security Risk for Europe

The FPÖ, for its part, strongly criticized the "red-pink welcoming culture," which "has finally made Vienna a security risk for all of Europe." "While the SPÖ and their pink supporters lose themselves in multicultural dreams, pistols, magazines, and assault rifles for potential attacks are stored in the middle of our city," said FPÖ Vienna leader City Councilor Dominik Nepp on Thursday in a release. "The much-praised integration of recent years by SPÖ, NEOS, and Greens has obviously failed spectacularly. The reality is parallel societies where political Islam can spread unhindered."

(APA/Red)

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