Cypriot prosecutors have filed charges against five men accused of being part of a Hamas-linked terror cell that planned attacks on Israeli targets on the island. The trial is set to begin October 14. The suspects, aged 32 to 54, face 15 counts including conspiracy to commit murder, terrorism offenses, and money laundering. The plot was uncovered in May, with arrests made in Cyprus and Indonesia.
The indictment, filed at the Larnaca Criminal Court, accuses the five men of operating as a Hamas-affiliated cell that scouted targets and acquired materials for explosives. According to the charge sheet, the suspects include a 32-year-old who allegedly photographed potential targets across Cyprus and obtained bomb-making materials after being recruited by a Hamas operative; a 38-year-old physics professor who entered Cyprus illegally and was to assemble explosives after receiving instructions in Turkey; a 54-year-old Cypriot-Palestinian dual national who allegedly received packages containing chemical materials; a 41-year-old suspect arrested in Indonesia and extradited to Cyprus, described as the network's leader; and a fifth suspect who allegedly assisted in organizing travel for the cell. All five have been ordered held in pretrial detention. The case echoes similar foiled plots in the region, including a Hamas-linked plan to attack an Israeli cruise ship near Crete that was uncovered earlier this summer, as reported by The Zioneer. The trial is scheduled to begin on October 14.
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