A Lebanese-born man identified as Kamel M. was detained on 6 March at Larnaca Airport upon arrival from Lebanon, German federal prosecutors announced on 10 March.
Cyprus acted on a German arrest warrant linking the suspect to Hamas and the procurement of weapons and ammunition for potential attacks on Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany and Europe.
Prosecutors said the suspect had transported 300 live-ammunition rounds, though the statement did not specify where the cartridges originated or where they were headed. "The operation was a preparation for deadly Hamas attacks on Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany and Europe," prosecutors stated.
German authorities have since searched the suspect's Berlin apartment. Following extradition, a judge will rule on pre-trial detention.
The arrest comes amid a documented rise in attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions worldwide since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, triggered by the militant group's October 2023 assault on Israel.
Cyprus has seen a cluster of terrorism-related arrests in recent days. On Monday, authorities on the island detained a 28-year-old Azerbaijani national and a 27-year-old Estonian woman on suspicion of terrorism and espionage on behalf of Iran.
In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz last autumn pledged resolute action against antisemitism at the reopening of a restored synagogue.
