Hamas Is Embedded and “Ready to Strike” Across Europe, Terrorism Experts Warn

European leaders are drawing up plans for maintaining peace in the Middle East. But reports suggest they should be more concerned about the presence of extremists at home.

Italian daily Libero Quotidiano warned on Thursday that “Hamas is already among us,” with an “armed, organised network ready to strike.” Giovanni Giacalone, who is an expert on terrorism and Islamic groups, also told il Giornale on Friday that while “it’s difficult to provide a precise estimate of how many Hamas supporters there are in Italy … I wouldn’t be surprised if we reached thousands.”

Giacalone added that support is made most clear at pro-Palestine protests and on social media. But perhaps more concerning than this is the mostly hidden presence of Hamas ‘operatives’ who are working to obtain permanent residence permits in Italy and elsewhere across the Continent.

In Germany, for example, officials estimate there are 32,500 people living in the country who can be classified as foreign extremists—a 6% increase on the previous year—with many aligning themselves with Hamas. Three members of the group were arrested there earlier this month for allegedly planning attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions. They are suspected of having procured firearms and ammunition since the summer.

As such, Sinan Selen, the head of Germany’s BfV domestic spy agency, said the Israel-Hamas peace deal does not mean there is a “reason to sound the all-clear when it comes to Hamas and its activities in Europe and Germany.”

Operatives have also been discovered in Denmark and Sweden.

Responding to recent reports, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini stressed that there should be “no room for hatred and Islamic extremism: out of our country.”