Western German state bans pro-Palestine group, raids four properties

Security forces searched four properties in the western German city of Duisburg on Thursday morning in a raid on a local group accused of supporting the Palestinian militant organization Hamas.

Ahead of the raid, the Interior Ministry in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had officially banned the organization known as Palestine Solidarity Duisburg.

"A red line was crossed," said the state's interior minister, Herbert Reul. "We have confiscated all the organization's assets."

The raid targeted four properties belonging to the group's leaders, including flats in several apartment blocks, according to dpa sources. More than 50 officers participated in the operation. They reportedly seized boxes containing documents, as well as computers, mobile phones and cash.

The banning of the organization was reportedly ordered by North Rhine-Westphalia's State Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

According to the ministry, Palestine Solidarity Duisburg is a pro-Palestinian organization which has shown solidarity with Palestinian resistance in all its forms, including Hamas' armed struggle against Israel.

It has also maintained ties with other pro-Palestinian organizations, including Samidoun, which was outlawed in Germany in November.

In a statement, the ministry said that the group's ideological orientation is "characterized by an anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic world view."

"Palestine Solidarity Duisburg continuously agitates against the state of Israel and holds it solely responsible for the Middle East conflict," the statement read. "In doing so, it is spreading hatred and violence in the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians and, not least, jeopardizing the life and limb of Israelis and Jews living in Germany."

Under the ban, the group's assets have been confiscated, and its online presence and social media activities have been curtailed.

Since the deadly attacks on Israel led by Hamas on October 7, which triggered the war in Gaza, there has been a global surge in anti-Semitic discrimination, with fears growing about the safety of Jews in Germany.

At the beginning of November, the German government issued a ban on all activities by Hamas, which was already designated as a terrorist organization by the European Union. The move made it easier for police to take action at rallies held in support of Palestinians.

Germany's domestic intelligence service puts the number of Hamas operatives living in the country at 450. So far, their activities have been limited to spreading propaganda and collecting donations.

Germany is among Israel's staunchest allies, and political leaders in Berlin have repeatedly stated that Israel has a right to self defence in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

Domestically, authorities have been quick to crack down on pro-Palestinian protests citing fears of anti-Semitism, with critics saying the current climate has led to a suppression of pro-Palestinian voices.