Oct. 7 terrorist living freely as ‘refugee’ in Belgium: report

A documented Oct. 7 participant is living “his best life” in Europe and enjoying public welfare benefits due to his refugee status, a Jewish watchdog group warned.

By World Israel News Staff

A Hamas terrorist who took part in the October 7, 2023, massacres successfully claimed asylum in Belgium and is now living freely in the European country as a refugee, according to a report from a Belgian watchdog organization.

The man, identified as Mohannad al-Khatib, has been filmed multiple times in video footage circulating online from Oct. 7. The videos show al-Khatib among the thousands of Hamas terrorists who crossed into Israel during the attacks. Despite this, he presents himself publicly as a “freelance journalist.”

In recent years, numerous Gazans claiming to be journalists have later been identified as operatives for Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terror groups. These individuals often leverage press credentials to justify immunity from consequences for aiding terrorist activities or to argue they were not legitimate military targets.

The Belgian watchdog group JID, which advocates for Jewish residents of the country, told Hebrew-language Channel 12 News that al-Khatib was directly involved in the Oct. 7 attacks and is now using his presence in Belgium to promote anti-Israel propaganda.

JID’s findings indicate that al-Khatib is under no security restrictions, receives state welfare benefits as a refugee, and is not being monitored by Belgian authorities.

One video circulating on social media platform X reportedly shows al-Khatib inside Israeli territory on Oct. 7, cheering as other terrorists drive an SUV stolen from a slain Israeli into the Gaza Strip.

Additional footage aired by Al Jazeera shows al-Khatib at a pro-Hamas rally in Brussels in October, where demonstrators openly celebrated the massacres.

“It’s not just terror supporters who show up at these rallies — it’s also terrorists themselves!” wrote Yoseph Haddad, a prominent Arab-Israeli Zionist activist, responding to the report.

“Who knows how many other terrorists who murdered, massacred, raped, and kidnapped are roaming freely throughout Europe today living their best lives?” he continued, urging his followers to “share so that Belgium knows who is living among them!”

Haddad added that “justice must reach these terrorists wherever they are.”