Germany bans Hezbollah activity on its soil and raids several mosques

Germany has banned all activity by the Lebanese movement Hezbollah on its soil and designated it a terrorist organisation, the country’s interior ministry said on Thursday.

Police also conducted early morning raids on mosque associations in four cities across Germany.

Security officials believe up to 1,050 people in Germany are part of Hezbollah’s military arm.

Israel and the United States had been pushing Berlin to ban the Iran-backed organisation.

Germany had previously distinguished between Hezbollah’s political arm and its military units, which have fought alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s army in Syria.

A spokesman said Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had banned the activities of Hezbollah, Reuters reported.

“Even in times of crisis, the rule of law is capable of acting,” tweeted the spokesman.

Designated a terrorist organisation by the United States, Hezbollah is also a significant backer of the government of Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab, which took office in January.

The EU classifies Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.

Mosques raided

Last December, Germany’s parliament approved a motion urging Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government to ban all activities by Hezbollah on German soil, citing its “terrorist activities,” especially in Syria.

On a trip to Berlin last year, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah.

Britain introduced legislation in February of last year that classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation.

Police raided four mosque associations in Dortmund and Muenster in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen and Berlin which they believe are close to Hezbollah, the interior ministry said.