Greek police said Sunday morning they had arrested a Palestinian man suspected of having ties to Hamas and planning to carry out a terrorist attack. According to reports in Greek media, he may have intended to attack an Israeli cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Crete on Tuesday.
According to reports in Greece, the 37-year-old man was arrested Saturday evening in Crete, where he works at a hotel. Police said that “according to the information we have at this stage, he was connected to several people recently arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of terrorist activity and received training from Hamas.”
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization not only by Israel, but also by the European Union, including Greece.
Greek state broadcaster ERT reported that the arrested man had previously rented an apartment in central Athens, where police found laboratory equipment and chemicals that could be used to make a bomb. Police said the investigation is ongoing.