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Hamas leader’s former bodyguard ‘plotted attack on Jews’ after gaining UK citizenship
Former security aide to Ismail Haniyeh faces extradition to Germany over alleged weapons plot targeting Jewish and Israeli sites in Europe
A Hamas leader’s former bodyguard was granted asylum and British citizenship before allegedly becoming a key figure in a plot to carry out terrorist attacks against Jews in Europe, according to an investigation by The Sunday Times.
The man, who the newspaper reports cannot be identified for legal reasons so is referred to in the report as Mr X, served on the personal security team of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh before arriving in Britain more than a decade ago.
He is now facing extradition to Germany, where prosecutors accuse him of helping procure and move weapons for attacks reportedly intended to coincide with the second anniversary of the 7 October massacre.
Alleged targets included Jewish community centres, Israeli diplomats and pro-Israel demonstrations in Germany or neighbouring Austria.
According to The Sunday Times, Mr X, a married father in his 40s, was arrested by National Crime Agency officers in central London last November after German and Israeli intelligence services uncovered the alleged conspiracy.
Authorities in Germany worked with counterparts in Austria, Denmark and Britain during an investigation which led to seven other arrests and the recovery of weapons including an AK47 assault rifle.
German prosecutors allege Mr X transported firearms and live ammunition to a storage facility in Vienna. An indictment also claims he recorded a video in which he appeared masked and armed in front of a Hamas flag and described the planned attack as an act of retribution on behalf of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.
A law enforcement source described him as an “essential” figure in the alleged plot.
Details of the case emerged days after police said they thwarted a “fairly imminent” attack against Manchester’s Jewish community. Last year two men were killed at a synagogue in the city during an attack on Yom Kippur by a jihadist armed with a knife and fake suicide vest.
Despite the international attention surrounding the European investigation, Mr X remains protected by an anonymity order because he is awaiting trial in a separate criminal case in Britain.
His lawyer argued last year that identifying him could prejudice those proceedings. A judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court subsequently imposed an anonymity order lasting 100 years.
That extraordinary duration was amended on Thursday after being queried by The Sunday Times. Mr X can now be identified once the separate British proceedings have concluded.
Should he receive a custodial sentence in that case, he is expected to serve it in Britain before facing extradition proceedings relating to the German allegations.
According to sources and photographic evidence, he was attached to Haniyeh’s security detail by 2006, the year Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections.
He was also the son of another senior Hamas official and had previously been detained in Egypt over a tunnel allegedly used to smuggle firearms and gold into Gaza.
Between 2009 and 2012, Mr X travelled between Gaza and Europe via Egypt. During that period he was detained by Egyptian authorities in connection with the smuggling tunnel. He is believed to have left Gaza permanently in 2012. After a period during which his movements are unclear, he arrived in Britain and claimed asylum in 2015.
He was granted indefinite leave to remain by the Home Office while Theresa May was home secretary in David Cameron’s government.
It remains unclear what information officials considering his application possessed about his previous activities or whether they were aware of reports concerning him that were already in the public domain.
Security sources claim the alleged plot was directed by senior Hamas figures and that Mr X was a significant participant. One official described him as a senior Hamas asset who used his British passport to travel regularly to Qatar and Turkey, both important international centres for Hamas, as well as Egypt.
According to German court papers, first obtained by Bild, Mr X travelled from Istanbul to Germany last July before transporting five pistols, ammunition, woollen hats, neck warmers and gloves from Berlin to Vienna.
The following month, prosecutors say, he received another 100 rounds of ammunition. Weeks later, an alleged co-conspirator obtained an assault rifle, described as a Yugoslavian variant of the Kalashnikov, together with eight pistols and about 600 rounds of ammunition.
Investigators also discovered the pre-recorded video in a property searched by police. It appeared to have been filmed in Vienna.
In the recording, Mr X allegedly linked the planned attacks to the second anniversary of the 7 October massacre, evidence which investigators regarded as important in establishing both the alleged motive and intended timing of the plot.
It remains unclear whether prosecutors believe Mr X intended personally to take part in an attack or whether his alleged role was principally logistical.
Among seven other people arrested in connection with the investigation were two German citizens, a Danish citizen, a Bulgarian and three Lebanese nationals.
Mr X remains in custody in Britain while the separate criminal proceedings against him continue.
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