Italian police said Monday that they have arrested three Palestinians on terror-related charges, The Times of Israel reported.
Police allege that the three men had set up a terror cell linked to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militia associated with the Fatah party that governs the West Bank, and planned to carry out attacks on an unspecified country, the outlet noted. (RELATED: More Countries Suspend Aid To UNRWA After Allegations Employees Aided Attack On Israel)
The United States, Israel and the European Union have all designated the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades as a terrorist organization, The Times of Israel noted.
“The suspects engaged in proselytism and propaganda [on behalf of the terror organization]… and planned attacks, including suicide attacks, against civilian and military targets on foreign territory,” Italian police said in a statement, the outlet reported. The charges against the three men could carry jail terms of up to 15 years, according to The Times of Israel.
One of three men detained and charged by Italian police is wanted in Israel, which has already filed an extradition request, outlet reported.
Italian police say they have arrested three Palestinians belonging to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades Tulkarm branch on terrorism charges. pic.twitter.com/PwgF6hmxiy
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) March 11, 2024
“The capture of the dangerous terrorists in L’Aquila confirms the continuous commitment and great investigative capacity of our law enforcement agencies, which I thank for this important result,” Matteo Piantedosi, Italy’s Minister of the Interior, tweeted in Italian, according to a Google translation.