Federal Prosecutors Charge Man in Hamas Attack

Federal prosecutors recently revealed that a man involved in a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, gained legal status in the United States by providing false information on his visa application, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed on Thursday.

The accused, Mahmoud Amin Yaqub al-Muftadi, 33, is said to be affiliated with a Gaza militia implicated in the raid, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 individuals, including Americans, and the abduction of around 250 hostages. Allegedly, al-Muftadi played a role in organizing armed fighters and entered Israel after the initial invasion by Hamas militants. The complaint was filed in the Western District of Louisiana on October 6.

Records indicate that al-Muftadi was part of the National Resistance Brigades, a militant faction within the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine that collaborated with Hamas during the October 7 assault.

“Evidence suggests that on the morning of October 7, 2023, Al-Muftadi was aware of the Hamas invasion, armed himself, and gathered others to travel to Israel to assist in the attacks,” noted the complaint, signed by FBI Supervisory Special Agent Alexandria M. Thoman O’Donnell.

During the morning of the attack, the FBI reported that al-Muftadi made multiple phone calls and sent messages, urging another fighter to “get ready” and instructing others to “bring their rifles and bulletproof vests.” Authorities stated that his phone was linked to an Israeli cell tower close to a kibbutz where over 60 civilians lost their lives.

Prosecutors claimed al-Muftadi used deceitful information to obtain a U.S. immigrant visa. He allegedly lied in his visa application submitted in Cairo, denying any ties to armed groups or terrorist acts. The application, filed under the name Mahmoud al-Muhtadi, stated he was born in Gaza and resided there until March 2024.

Afterward, al-Muftadi lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Lafayette, Louisiana, working in auto repair and food service, as indicated in the complaint. FBI agents discovered social media photos of him with children and brandishing a Glock handgun. According to records, he entered the U.S. through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on September 12, 2024.

The FBI has not yet commented on this case. Al-Muftadi is set for his initial court appearance before Judge David J. Ayo on Friday.

This case is part of an initiative by the Department of Justice to identify and prosecute those linked to the October 7 attacks, as referenced in the complaint.