A Palestinian illegal immigrant, who was arrested in the US, was among the terrorists who invaded Israel on October 7, 2023.
Who is Mahmoud al-Muhtadi?
Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al-Muhtadi, 33, is a member of a terrorist group named the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which is an offshoot of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He is also a member of its military wing, the National Resistance Brigades, which has carried out several terror attacks, including the 1974 Ma'alot massacre, according to FBI.
FBI filed criminal charges partially based on information provided by Israel.
Early in the morning on October 7, 2023, Hamas leader Muhammed Deif called on "the masses" to join them and kill Israelis. "Everyone who has a rifle, take it out, as now is the time. And whoever doesn’t have a rifle, take out your machete, your axe, your hatchet," Deif said back then.
Muhtadi learnt about the attack at 6.34 am from social media soon after the invasion started. By 8.12 am, he reportedly gathered a group of armed men to join the Hamas's Nukhba unit, which led the invasion in 2023. By 9.33 am, his team crossed the Israeli border. Israel has recorded the evidence of Muhtadi's mobile phone being connected to a service tower near Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Muhtadi, who lied on his visa application to gain entry into the US, was living in Lafayette, Louisiana, since September 2024. He was arrested two weeks ago and has been lodged in a local prison.
