Five stand trial in Germany over attack on Israeli defence company office

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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