Hamas Operative Arrested in Greece Amid Suspicion of Plot Against Israeli Cruise Ship

Greek police announced today (Sunday) the arrest of a 37-year-old Palestinian man suspected of ties to the Hamas terror organization and of planning terrorist activity in the country. The arrest was carried out last night on the island of Crete, where the suspect worked at a hotel, and the investigation is still ongoing.

According to the police statement, the suspect was connected to people who were recently arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of terror offenses. The official statement said that "based on the information we have at this time, he was connected to several people who were recently arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of terrorist acts, and received training from Hamas." Hamas is designated as a terror organization not only in Israel but also in the European Union, including Greece.

Greek media outlets reported that authorities are examining the possibility that the suspect had planned to target an Israeli cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Crete this coming Tuesday.

The investigation also expanded to Athens after it emerged that the suspect had previously rented an apartment in the center of the Greek capital. According to a report by the state television network ERT, a raid by security forces on the apartment uncovered laboratory equipment and chemical materials that could be used to prepare an explosive device or bomb.

Greek police did not provide additional details about the scope of the suspect's activity or his possible connections to other individuals, but emphasized that the investigation is still underway and that all the evidence collected is being examined.