Ex-Hamas Bodyguard with British Citizenship Suspected of European Terror Plot
A former Hamas bodyguard with British citizenship is suspected of plotting terror attacks against Jewish targets in Europe, triggering intense scrutiny in London.
A former bodyguard to Ismail Haniyeh, who obtained political asylum and British citizenship, is suspected of plotting attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Germany and Austria from a quiet English suburb ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre, the Sunday Times reported.
Arrest and Background
In Britain, where he is detained and awaiting trial in a separate case, his name is suppressed and he is referred to solely as "Mr X". In Israel, however, he was previously identified as Muhammad Naim, the son of Basem Naim, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau.
According to the investigation, Naim served in Haniyeh's personal security detail as early as 2006, the year Hamas won the Palestinian elections, and arrived in Britain after leaving Gaza in 2012.
"The suspect exploited his British passport to travel regularly to Qatar and Turkey, the movement's international hubs, as well as Egypt," security sources noted.
The Plot and Arrests
According to a German indictment, Naim transferred pistols and ammunition from Berlin to Vienna, depositing them in a rented storage facility in the Austrian capital. He also allegedly recorded a video of himself masked and armed in front of a Hamas flag, framing the attacks as revenge on behalf of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
He was arrested in central London last November after the Mossad and German intelligence uncovered the plot. Seven other suspects were arrested simultaneously, and weapons including a Kalashnikov rifle were seized.
