Hamas head’s bodyguard gained UK citizenship while plotting terror

A German newspaper described Mr. X as a “vital figure” in the plot, which was ultimately foiled before the planned attacks could take place.

By World Israel News Staff

A Gazan man who served as the personal bodyguard of slain Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was granted refugee status in the United Kingdom and later obtained British citizenship before allegedly using his European travel rights to advance terrorist activity across the continent, according to a new report.

The man, identified in media reports as Mr. X, is currently facing criminal proceedings in Germany. A British judge ruled that the media could not publish his name until the trial has concluded — an unusual restriction given that British media outlets routinely report the names of criminal suspects, including those accused of far less serious offenses.

According to the German newspaper Bild, Mr. X was granted asylum in the UK in 2015 despite his previous work for Haniyeh. He had also reportedly been arrested by Egyptian authorities over his involvement in a weapons-smuggling operation in which guns and ammunition were transported from Egypt into the Gaza Strip through underground tunnels.

Those details were apparently not sufficient to prevent him from receiving asylum in Britain, according to the report.

Several years later, Mr. X applied for British citizenship and was granted it, giving him the ability to travel throughout Europe with a British passport.

He subsequently traveled to Germany, where he is now facing an indictment on serious terrorism-related charges. According to Bild, German authorities believe that he smuggled handguns, ammunition and camouflage equipment from Berlin to Vienna, Austria.

The alleged activity was part of a broader terror plot that was reportedly uncovered by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and its German counterpart in November 2025.

According to the report, Mr. X had also pre-recorded a video in which he stood in front of a Hamas flag. The clip was intended to be released following an attack on Jewish and Israeli-linked events and institutions.

Bild described Mr. X as a “vital figure” in the plot, which was ultimately foiled before the planned attacks could take place.