Ex-Hamas Security Guard Granted UK Citizenship, Accused of Plotting European Terror Attack

A former security guard for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, identified only as "Mr. X" due to legal reasons, obtained political asylum and British citizenship in 2015, the Sunday Times reported. "X," who is also the son of a senior Hamas official, was part of Haniyeh's security detail since 2006. Between 2009 and 2012, he was reportedly arrested in Egypt in connection with smuggling weapons and gold into Gaza via a tunnel.

Despite his past, "X" was granted refugee status by the UK's Home Office in 2015 and later became a British citizen, settling with his family in the suburbs of a major English city. He allegedly worked as a computer consultant, changed his name multiple times, and maintained a facade of a normal life, participating in anti-Israel protests and establishing businesses.

In November, "X" was arrested in London after intelligence from Israel's Mossad and German services revealed he was planning attacks against Jewish community centers, Israeli diplomats, and pro-Israel demonstrations in Germany or Austria. A cell of seven suspects was apprehended in a joint operation involving Germany, Austria, Denmark, and the UK, with an AK-47 rifle and ammunition seized.

German authorities have charged "X" with smuggling weapons, including handguns and ammunition, to a storage facility in Vienna. He is also accused of recording a video, masked and armed beside a Hamas flag, describing the planned attack as an act of revenge for the terror group's military wing. Law enforcement sources described him as a "vital" figure in the plot. The indictment claims he transported firearms and ammunition between Berlin and Vienna in July and August 2025.

"X" allegedly used his British passport to travel to Turkey and Qatar, known hubs for Hamas leadership. If convicted in the UK, he faces imprisonment followed by extradition to Germany. The report suggests the plot was foiled partly due to a German intelligence asset who "went rogue" and withheld information about "X's" role.