Ex-Haniyeh Bodyguard Convicted of UK Assault, Faces Extradition to Germany

A Hamas operative, identified as Mohammed al-Fatih, who is suspected of involvement in a plot to attack Jewish communities in Germany, has been convicted in the UK of a violent knife attack on an enforcement officer outside his home. Al-Fatih, a German-born individual also known as "Mohammed Naeem," previously served as the bodyguard for the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2015 and obtained British citizenship in 2020.

A jury in Birmingham found the 40-year-old al-Fatih guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm, unlawful possession of a knife, and criminal damage to the enforcement officer's vehicle. The jury, which did not know of his alleged ties to Hamas, acquitted him of the more serious charge of wounding with intent. During the trial, which lasted over six hours across three days, the court viewed footage of al-Fatih brandishing large kitchen knives outside his Birmingham home.

Reports indicate that al-Fatih is now facing extradition to Germany, where he is accused of playing a significant role in transporting and storing weapons as part of a Hamas cell that allegedly planned attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets. German prosecutors claim he prepared a video taking responsibility for an attack on behalf of Hamas. He is being tried separately in the UK and has not yet been extradited.

British Home Office officials are reportedly considering revoking al-Fatih's citizenship and are investigating his case for any false information provided during his naturalization process. Al-Fatih's defense attorney argued that he acted out of a heightened sense of danger due to past trauma, including being shot at ages 16 and 20, and experiencing torture in Egypt in 2010. A forensic psychiatrist noted he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. His wife reportedly accumulated significant unpaid parking fines.