Spy chiefs issue warning on Russia, Hamas – DW – 10/13/2025

The threats posed by Russia and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas should not be underestimated, the leaders of Germany’s two main intelligence services said in their annual public statement in the Bundestag on Monday.

Sinan Selen, head of the BfV, the country’s domestic spy agency, said the recent peace deal for Gaza does not mean “there is any reason to be all clear when it comes to Hamas and its activities in Europe and Germany.”

Selen warned that Hamas has an “infrastructure” in Germany, and his office estimated that about 32,500 people living in the country could be classified as foreign extremists. This is an increase of 6% compared to last year.

Martin Jäger, head of the BND, the foreign intelligence service, said the “icy peace” between Europe and Russia right now could turn into a “hot confrontation” at any time.

To achieve its goal of broader political influence in Europe, “Russia will not shy away from direct military confrontation with NATO if necessary,” Jäger said, adding that extensive propaganda efforts were already underway.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has left Berlin en route to Egypt, as world leaders gather to attend the official signing of the Israel-Hamas peace deal for Gaza.

Merz will be joined by French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, among others.

The chancellor described the truce as “good news for the people of the Middle East and around the world”, pledged €29 million ($33.6 million) in aid and said Germany would soon attend a Gaza reconstruction conference to be held in Egypt.

At the same time, German-Israeli twin brothers Gali and Ziv Berman were reunited for the first time in two years, as some of the last hostages held by Hamas were released.

At least 46 people were injured in a fire at a large social housing block in Berlin, firefighters said. Fifteen people were taken to local hospitals.

He said the fire started after a suspicious explosion, but no further details were immediately available.

The fire started on the ground floor and spread rapidly before emergency services were able to completely extinguish it, allowing residents on the second floor and above to return to their homes after evacuation.

The High Deck housing estate is home to approximately 6,000 people in a series of 6-storey apartment buildings in the capital’s Neukölln district.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

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