After the ban on Hamas and Samidoun, a Palestinian network accused of having close ties to the extremist group Hamas, German authorities carried out a search on Thursday in the Stormarn district of Schleswig-Holstein. "This community is under scrutiny for its close association with Hamas," stated State Secretary of the Interior Magdalena Finke on the day of the raid. One property was searched from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., leading to no arrests. Reports suggest that the search took place in Oststeinbek.
Federal Ministry of the Interior confirmed that various properties were searched in Berlin, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Schleswig-Holstein on November 2, 2023. The homes of suspected supporters of the banned organizations were the target of these searches.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) issued a ban on Hamas' activities and the German branch of Samidoun on November 2, 2023, following a Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) announced the bans shortly after the attack, presumably to convey a political message. Raid operations are generally carried out before or simultaneously with such bans to prevent the affected parties from removing or destroying evidence.
Enforcement of the bans and further investigation of these banned organizations' structures were ordered by the competent administrative courts.
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Germany, in response to Hamas-led terror attacks and increased antisemitic activities, issued a ban on Samidoun due to its promotion of terrorism and antisemitic propaganda. Masar Badil, a group linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), has also been under scrutiny in Germany for its ties to antisemitic ideologies and terrorism. The German parliament has taken steps to address these issues, including sanctions on antisemitic behavior in schools and universities.
2023 saw a record increase in antisemitic incidents and disruptive pro-Hamas protests following the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel. Germany has been working to combat these incidents, with the search in Stormarn district being a part of the broader efforts to address terrorism and antisemitism in the country.
