Gazan Immigrant in UK Denies Hamas Ties, Cites Coercion

A Gazan immigrant who entered the UK illegally last year and was granted residency after serving a nine-month jail sentence has been confronted about his past extremist activities. Moazab Abd al-Karim al-Gassas, 34, known as Abu Wadi, was found by a local newspaper reporter living in a shared flat in Corby. He admitted to previously being part of Hamas's tire-burning unit and calling for the murder of Jews, but claimed these actions occurred eight years ago and that Hamas coerced him.

Al-Gassas, who has a TikTok account with around 20,000 followers, stated that he now has Jewish friends and enjoys his life in the UK. However, these claims contradict past online posts. In a September 2024 Facebook video before arriving in Britain, he prayed for the destruction of Jews and their allies, calling for them to be killed one by one. He also previously posted images and videos of himself holding a rifle and confronting IDF soldiers.

The discovery of his presence has caused outrage among local politicians. Member of Parliament Lee Barron expressed shock and vowed to contact the Home Secretary to demand immediate deportation. Town councilor Mark Pangall also supported the call for deportation, calling al-Gassas's presence "ridiculous" and prioritizing resident safety.

Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary, criticized the situation, stating it's a "joke" that taxpayers fund al-Gassas's weekly £49.18 subsistence payment. He suggested al-Gassas could return to Hamas-controlled Gaza, but the Home Office reportedly cannot deport him currently due to dangers and lack of safe return routes to Gaza.

A spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism questioned the logic of releasing someone after a jail term for illegal entry, only for them to remain free.