An i24NEWS report says a former bodyguard of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh received UK asylum and citizenship and was arrested while planning what the report called a 'huge terror attack' against Jewish targets in Europe.
i24NEWS reported Sunday that a former bodyguard of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who obtained UK asylum and citizenship, was arrested while planning what it called a "huge terror attack" against Jewish targets in Europe. The report adds a fresh layer to a story that has seen conflicting identifications of the suspect throughout the day — a Sunday Times investigation published earlier Sunday identified the suspect as the son of Haniyeh's bodyguard, while i24NEWS describes the same individual as the former bodyguard himself.
The Sunday Times probe, first covered by The Zioneer at 00:12 Jerusalem, detailed how the son of a senior Hamas official who served as Haniyeh's personal bodyguard was granted UK asylum in 2015 and citizenship, lived under multiple aliases in England, and was arrested in London in November 2025 on charges of plotting attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre. According to the indictment, he transported pistols and ammunition from Berlin to Vienna and recorded a pre-prepared claim-of-responsibility video. The plot was uncovered by Mossad and German security services, and he now faces extradition to Germany. A subsequent report by Israel Hayom at the same hour identified Haniyeh's bodyguard himself as the suspect, echoing the i24NEWS account. The Zioneer's initial Intelligence Desk report at 00:12 similarly cited the bodyguard.
The case underscores the continuing threat posed by Hamas's international networks even after the elimination of its political leadership. As The Zioneer reported, former associates of Haniyeh remain active in the terror group's global operations — a dossier on the former leader notes that "his family members and former associates remain active in Hamas's military and international operations" following his elimination in Tehran in July 2024.
The identity of the arrested individual remains unclear, as the Sunday Times and i24NEWS reports differ on whether the suspect is the bodyguard or his son. Official confirmation from British or Israeli authorities has not been released. It also remains unverified whether the i24NEWS report refers to the same individual as the Sunday Times investigation or a separate operative.
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Source and signal
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