Hamas on Wednesday denied any connection to three men arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning attacks against Jewish and Israeli sites.

“Hamas has no connection with the individuals arrested today in Germany,” the group said in a statement, dismissing the allegations as “completely unfounded.”

Germany accuses three men of being Hamas

Earlier the same day, German federal prosecutors announced that three men had been detained in Berlin under allegations of being operatives of Hamas and of procuring firearms and ammunition for attacks in Germany.

Police said they seized an AK-47 assault rifle, several pistols, and a large cache of ammunition. “The weapons were to be used by Hamas for deadly attacks targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany,” prosecutors stated.

Searches were also carried out in Leipzig at the same time as the Berlin arrests, according to Der Spiegel.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt claimed law enforcement had “averted a terrorist threat," further revealing that one of the suspects had entered Germany months earlier and was under surveillance.

“We are clearly a target for terrorists, which is why we must always be well prepared to defend ourselves,” Dobrindt told reporters in Brussels.

The suspects, identified as German citizens Abed Al G. and Ahmad I., and Lebanese-born Wael F. M., face charges of membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing a “serious act of violence endangering the state.” They are due in court on Thursday.

'Israel's' staunch supporter 

Germany, which considers Hamas to be a terrorist organization, has increased policing and restrictions targeting pro-Palestine activism and Arab/Muslim communities since October 7, sparking accusations of disproportionate repression. 

Simultaneously, Germany has maintained unwavering backing for "Israel", even as criticism grows over the latter’s genocide of Palestinians. 

Now, as more European countries, including France, Britain, and Australia, have moved to recognize a Palestinian state, Germany finds itself increasingly isolated.

Historian Rene Wildangel sharply criticized Berlin’s current approach. Referring to Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul’s UN General Assembly statement that Gaza is "hell on earth," Wildangel said, “Germany is doing far too little to end this hell. Germany must no longer turn a blind eye to this.”

Despite mounting calls for action, Merz confirmed that Berlin does not currently plan to recognize a Palestinian state, setting it apart from many of its Western allies.

Read more: Netanyahu growing more isolated as war crimes continue: Hamas