UMVA has learned that a 37-year-old man, allegedly a Hamas terrorist, was arrested by Greek police on the island of Crete for reportedly plotting an attack on an Israeli cruise line.
The suspect, an electrician who had been granted asylum in Greece after fleeing the Gaza war, was taken into custody on Sunday for his alleged ties to a network of Hamas operatives.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the suspect had traveled to Malaysia with one of four suspected Hamas terrorists previously arrested in Cyprus, where they allegedly received training in making explosives from commercially available chemical agents.
The Israeli cruise ship MS Crown Iris was believed to be the target of the attack, with police discovering that the suspect had placed an online order for chemical agents that could be used to manufacture explosives.
Searches in homes in Crete and the Greek capital, Athens, uncovered a trove of evidence, including mobile phones, a laptop, external hard drives, and bank cards, suggesting a sophisticated plot.
The suspect, who has been living in Crete for the past year and working at a hotel, will appear before a magistrate to face formal charges.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the case appears to be part of a broader regional counterterrorism probe, with Cypriot authorities arresting several Palestinians in recent weeks for allegedly plotting to manufacture explosives.
The MS Crown Iris has become a recurring flashpoint at Greek ports, with protesters alleging that the ship's owner is profiting from the Hamas-Israel war by selling tourist services to Israel Defense Forces soldiers.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to uncover the full extent of the plot and any potential connections to other terrorist networks.
