Hamas Leader's Ex-Guard Granted UK Citizenship, Accused of Plotting European Attacks

A former bodyguard for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who had been granted refugee status and later British citizenship, is now accused of involvement in a Hamas plot to carry out attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe. The man, identified in a Sunday Times investigation as "Mr. X" due to British legal restrictions but previously linked in Germany to the son of senior Hamas official Bassam Naim, allegedly transferred handguns and ammunition from Berlin to Vienna. He is reportedly in his 40s, married with children, and resided in a major English city's suburbs, having worked in IT and changed his legal name multiple times. In a pre-recorded video, a masked and armed individual, with a Hamas flag in the background, described the planned attack as an act of revenge on behalf of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. He was arrested in London in November 2025 following a joint operation by Mossad and German security services that uncovered the plot. Security sources indicated that senior Hamas officials oversaw the operation, with the arrested individual playing a key role. The individual is currently facing extradition proceedings to Germany.