A former Hamas bodyguard who allegedly secured asylum and later British citizenship is facing extradition to Germany over claims that he helped organise a terror plot targeting Israeli diplomats, pro-Israel demonstrations and Jewish communities.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of being a key figure in plans for attacks in Germany and Austria in October 2025. The alleged plot was intended to coincide roughly with the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed.
He remains in custody in Britain after being arrested in central London by National Crime Agency officers last November. The investigation began after information about the alleged plans reached Mossad and German intelligence and security agencies.
German prosecutors accuse him of transporting weapons to a storage facility in Vienna. An indictment alleges that he moved five pistols, ammunition, woollen hats, neck warmers and gloves from Berlin in July last year and left them at a hired storage site.
Police also allegedly found a pre-recorded video during a property search. In the footage, believed to have been filmed in Vienna, the suspect is said to appear armed and masked in front of a Hamas flag, claiming the planned attack was retaliation on behalf of the Ezzidine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.
A law enforcement source described him as an “essential” figure in the alleged operation. Seven other suspects were arrested last year, including two German citizens, a Dane, a Bulgarian and three Lebanese nationals.
One alleged co-conspirator was a German intelligence asset who is accused of going rogue. Weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, were seized during an operation involving German officials and diplomatic partners, including Britain.
The former Hamas bodyguard’s UK asylum case
The suspect, a married man in his forties with children, is also facing a separate criminal case in Britain. If convicted, he is expected to serve a prison sentence before being extradited to Germany on accusations of procuring arms for Hamas.
His lawyer successfully argued that naming him could prejudice the UK proceedings, meaning he remains unidentified despite the seriousness of the German allegations.
Sources claim he served in the personal security detail of Ismail Haniyeh, who led Hamas in Gaza from 2007 to 2017. Images are said to show him alongside Haniyeh, including one in which he escorts the Hamas leader through a crowd of supporters carrying Kalashnikov rifles.
He was allegedly detained by Egyptian authorities at some point between 2009 and 2012 over claims that he operated a tunnel used to smuggle guns and gold into Gaza. He left the territory in 2012 and had reached Britain by 2015.
A Home Office under Theresa May subsequently granted him asylum, although it is not known how much officials were aware of his alleged role within Hamas. He was later given British citizenship and moved with his wife and children to a suburban home in an English city.
The man is said to have used two properties in the same city in recent years, neither of which he owns. Sources also claim he changed his name at least once, while Companies House records allegedly show UK businesses incorporated under several identities.
He reportedly left favourable reviews for local businesses on Google Maps as recently as two years ago, while also attending protests outside the Israeli embassy.
Haniyeh was assassinated by Mossad in Tehran in July 2024. He had described the October 7 attacks as “an earthquake that struck the heart of the Zionist entity” and vowed to continue the fight to “liberate… all our land”.
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
