FRANKFURT, April 27 (Reuters) – Five people appeared in court in Stuttgart on Monday on charges of causing about 1 million euros ($1.17 million) of damage at the German site of an Israeli defence company, the court said.
Prosecutors say the defendants, aged 25 to 40, trespassed and shouted pro-Palestinian statements as they smashed office equipment, measuring devices and windows at the business in the southern city of Ulm, the court added.
According to the charges, the defendants acted as members of the “Palestine Action Germany” organisation, which later published videos claiming responsibility for the attack.
The defendants, who were not named, are Irish, British, Spanish and German, prosecutors have said.
News outlets including Stuttgarter Zeitung and broadcaster SWR said the vandalised office belonged to Israeli defence electronics firm Elbit Systems.
Elbit, which has an office in Ulm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court did not identify Elbit as the target of the Ulm attack but said the company had been the target of attacks by “Palestine Action” groups in 2024.
Attacks against Jewish people and targets have risen worldwide since war erupted in Gaza in October 2023, following an attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants and Israel’s subsequent military offensive.
Monday’s hearing took place in a high-security facility at the court, officials said.
The Stuttgart court has previously said that more than a dozen hearings have been scheduled in the case until the end of July.
($1 = 0.8511 euros)
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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