CEP Senior Advisor Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown writes: "I worked at the United Nations in New York for five years as a co-ordinator for counterterrorism. I cherish those years at the UN, an organisation capable of doing great things for the world and full of brilliant people. But it has lost its way. Now I hear of recriminations between colleagues, disenchantment with the leadership and a belief that serious reform is needed to break the UN out of its malaise."

The demonstrations also serve to mobilize people. Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler from the "Counter Extremism Project" think tank is convinced. From the beginning, this was an integral part of Hamas' strategy. These demonstrations were not spontaneous, but part of a relatively well thought-out tactic. The expert emphasizes that it must be possible to criticize the Israeli government. "But what took place here was a glorification of a pogrom-like act of terror," says Schindler. In April 2025, pro-Palestinian activists occupy the Emil Fischer lecture hall at Berlin's Humboldt University. The rector tries to de-escalate the situation, but in the end the police clear the place. The result: property damage of up to 100,000 euros and 100 investigations. In recent months, such pro-Palestine actions rarely seem to be a spontaneous expression of political anger - rather an expression of a targeted strategy by Hamas activists and their sympathizers. There are clear references to the terrorist organization in the occupation: slogans such as "From the River to the Sea" and banners with red triangles - a Hamas symbol used to mark targets - dominate the scene.

Terrorism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler warns in the NZZ: "The fact that the group targeted the well-attended park suggests that they may have been toying with the idea of committing a mass attack." The process not only reveals plans - it shows a strategic U-turn. Europe is apparently no longer a place of retreat for Hamas - but a target for attack. The organization is under pressure in Gaza. Israel strikes back after the massacre on October 7. On the defensive, Hamas is now apparently looking for a "counter-attack" - in the cities of Europe. "As Israel's second-largest arms supplier, Germany is a logical target," says Schindler. "In the terrorist organization's mind, attacks could be a way to break Germany's solidarity with Israel."

Cryptocurrencies have helped the group invest its money while bypassing international financial sanctions, according to a report by the Counter Extremism Project. To combat those efforts. "Hamas was an early adopter of fundraising in crypto starting in 2019," said Ari Redbord, a former federal prosecutor and global head of policy and government affairs at TRM Labs, which is working to track Hamas funding. "They were using Telegram channels to solicit donations. They then set up website infrastructure to solicit donations." Yet, experts, including Redbord, emphasize that cryptocurrency remains a small piece of the group's financial strategy.

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: After nearly 18 months of war in Gaza, Israel's aim of destroying Hamas, the militant Islamist organization, is still unfulfilled. In recent days, the Israeli military has killed more Hamas senior leaders in airstrikes. Yet, Hamas has shown that it is able to absorb major losses and can still fight and govern.

Commenting on the EU-summit deliberations on Gaza, British Middle East expert Edmund Fitton-Brown said: "That element of balance [deploring also Hamas] rescues the exercise from being completely counterproductive". The original statement on Hamas' 7 October attack said the EU "condemns [it] in the strongest possible terms", in what Fitton-Brown said was "a 10 out of 10 condemnation" in terms of diplomatic vocabulary. "I think they [EU leaders] have it about right on Syria - balancing criticism with encouragement and potential incentives," the British ex-diplomat, Fitton-Brown, said. But reading the draft summit communiqué on al-Sharaa more closely (which "strongly condemns" the sectarian violence), Fitton-Brown added: "I'm not sure the word 'strongly' is necessary."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed: Israel has restarted strikes on Gaza, the fiercest since a now-expired ceasefire came into effect in January. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the recent airstrikes on Gaza are, "only the beginning." Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says the strikes killed over 400 Palestinians, including many children. The IDF has ordered evacuations in eastern Gaza, while Israelis have called for protests. In Tel Aviv, the families of hostages joined thousands protesting against the Israeli strikes on Gaza - accusing Netanyahu's government of sacrificing their relatives.