Palestinian arrested in Crete accused of preparing terrorist attack against Israeli targets in Europe
A 37-year-old Palestinian from Gaza Strip was arrested in Crete on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack against Israeli targets in a European country. The Greek Minister for Civil Protection stated that the suspect received training in Malaysia and was not acting alone.
Palestinian arrested in Crete accused of preparing terrorist attack against Israeli targets in Europe
Greek authorities arrested a 37-year-old man from the Gaza Strip in Crete on Saturday, accused of preparing a terrorist act against Israeli targets on European soil.
Michalis Chrysochoidis, Greece's Minister for Civil Protection, revealed on television channel Action24 that the arrested man admitted he had received training in Malaysia and was preparing to carry out an attack in a European country. The Greek official stressed that the suspect "was not acting alone", suggesting the existence of a support network.
According to the same official, this situation represents a change in Hamas's approach, a group that until now had not carried out operations outside Israel. Chrysochoidis characterised this scenario as a "very dangerous" threat if confirmed.
The arrest resulted from the cooperation of multiple secret services and intelligence agencies. The man arrived in Greece in 2023, receiving asylum that same year. He later travelled to Germany and subsequently to Malaysia, where he is reported to have received training at a Hamas camp before returning to Crete, where he worked as an electrician at a hotel unit.
Public television ERT reported that the suspect's plans could have included an Israeli cruise ship with a scheduled arrival in Crete on the Tuesday of the arrest. Additionally, the man had rented an apartment in Athens, where police authorities found laboratory equipment and chemical substances that could be used for manufacturing explosives.
This arrest follows the arrest on 21 May of two Palestinians in Cyprus on suspicion of terrorism. One, 38 years old, is reported to have organised and financed the trip of the now-arrested suspect to Malaysia to receive training in explosives, according to Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
Source: Observador
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)