REVEALED: Former bodyguard to Hamas leader accused of terror plot in Germany was given asylum in UK and granted British citizenship

A former bodyguard to a late Hamas leader facing extradition to Germany amid allegations he was a key figure in a plot by the terror organsation to carry out attacks in Europe was given asylum in the UK and granted British citizenship, it has emerged.

Mohammed Alfatih, 40, (above left and right) can be identified after he was today, November 13 2026, convicted of unlawful wounding in connection with a non-terror related savage knife and brick attack on bailiff Kevin Bucknall, who had gone to his Birmingham home on October 14 2025 to seize goods to pay off unpaid parking fines.

His identity had been protected by a court anonymity order, which was removed following his conviction and following representations from the media, including UK News and Investigations.

Now it can be revealed that Alfatih was arrested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) Extradition Unit in connection with a European Arrest Warrant from Germany where he is wanted for alleged terrorism offences.

He is accused of helping to prepare a terrorist attack against Jewish community centres, Israeli diplomats and pro-Israel demonstrations in Germany and in Austria, before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.

Alfatih(below) was a bodyguard for former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was the first Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip from June 2007 until February 2017.

In May 2017 Haniyeh became Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau until his assassination by Mossad in Tehran in July 2024.

He is also a son of Basam Naim, a key member of Hamas's Political Bureau, who is responsible for the group's Political Department and International Relations.

He came to the UK in 2014 and claimed asylum, after which he changed his last name from Naim to Alfatih.

Before coming to the UK, Alfatih was also previously arrested in Egypt for allegedly operating a tunnel said to have been used to smuggle firearms and gold into Gaza.

It was during this time that he claims he was tortured.

The Home Office has come under fire amid claims it was publicly known he had been security for Haniyeh, was the son of another senior Hamas official, and of his arrest in Egypt when he was granted indefinite leave to remain and later granted British citizenship in 2020.

Alfatihmarried after coming to the UK and has run a number of businesses registered with Companies House, under his current a his former surname, and has been an IT consultant.

His arrest by the NCA last year came after Mossad and German security services learnt of the planned attack.

In total, seven suspects were held with input from Austria and Denmark and weapons seized including an AK47.

They were two German citizens, including an alleged security services mole, a Dane, a Bulgarian and three Lebanese.

A German indictment for the alleged terrorism said Alfatihwas a key figure in the plot and he is accused of transporting handguns and ammunition to a Vienna storage depot.

It also states he appeared in a pre-recorded video in which he was masked and armed by a Hamas flag, saying the planned attack was in revenge for the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas.

The indictment was reported on by German newspaper Bild which said it alleges that last July he transported five pistols, ammunition, woollen hats, neck warmers and gloves from Berlin to Vienna, depositing them in a hired storage facility in the Austrian capital.

The following month, he allegedly received a further 100 rounds of ammunition. Weeks later, a co-conspirator procured an assault rifle — a Yugoslavian Kalashnikov variant — and eight pistols, as well as 600 rounds of ammunition.

The Home Office was asked why he got asylum and then citizenship based on his past.

A Home Office spokesperson said: "While we do not routinely comment on individual cases or operational matters, we take all steps necessary at all times to protect the nation's security.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further while legal proceedings are ongoing.

"Public safety remains our first priority, which is why mandatory security checks are conducted on all arrivals by linking biometric data to immigration, security and criminality databases."

Birmingham Crown Court, which heard the criminal trial, was told, in the absence of the jury, that on Alfatih's mobile phone were images of pro-Hamas material, and that he had also been under investigation in respect of this by West Midlands Counter Terror Police, although the case was dropped with no further action.

Footage of Alfatih's attack filmed by a neighbour

The crown court heard a row about Mr Bucknall clamping Alfatih's wife's car escalated into a scuffle inside the home, before the bailiff retreated to his van.

Prosecuting, Matthew Brook KC, said he was pursued by an angry Alfatih who was holding two knives from his kitchen and half a brick.

He said: "The defendant walked across to the driver’s window of Mr Bucknall’s van where he was sitting in the driver’s seat.

"The defendant then smashed the driver’s window with the brick later recovered from inside.

"The defendant also stabbed out towards the driver’s window (below in phone video shown to the jury) with one of the knives he was holding."

Mr Bucknall was left with a 2cm gash to his head, but it was unclear if it was caused by the brick, broken glass or the knife.

Both Alfatihand Mr Bucknall called police with the former arrested on suspicion of GBH, criminal damage and possession of the knives in public.

Most of the encounter was captured on Mr Bucknall's body-worn camera and on a mobile phone camera.

Alfatih was later charged with one count of wounding with intent, one count of unlawful wounding, two counts of possession of a bladed article in public and one count of criminal damage.

He denied all the offences.

Mr Brook said the defendant’s wife’s car was parked outside, and Mr Bucknall put a clamp on it and put the relevant paperwork on the windscreen before he knocked on the defendant’s front door.

Alfatihs wife Fayrouz Negm answered, but then shut the door before Alfatihopened it and tried to snatch the paperwork, the court heard.

Both men went outside and Mr Bucknall pushed Alfatih about four times as he tried to interfere with the clamp and prevent him adding another larger clamp.

After Alfatih explained the car could not be taken as it was on finance, leading Mr Bucknall to make further checks before he entered the home where Ms Negm was in the living room with their one-year-old child.

The altercation inside the property caught on body worn video

Mr Brook said: "The defendant followed Mr Bucknall into the house, and a scuffle took place between the two men, which ended with the bailiff placing Alfatih into a choke hold, before he retreated from the property to his van, where the attack took place.

Defending, Kate O’Raghallaigh, said Alfatih acted in self defence due to Mr Bucknall's "unpredictable behaviour" leading him to believe his family was in immediate danger.

She said it was due to him having PTSD due to tears of trauma suffered during his time in Gaza and since he came to the UK, including learning of the death of his youngest brother, who remained there, just the night before the attack.

She said: "He had six brothers and sisters and from the early 1990s onwards his family was regularly raided and searched by soldiers. From the age of five or six a brother was shot dead and he was also shot on his way to school aged 16.

"Flowers were left on the seats of school children who were killed and he was shot again in his early 20s in a car in Gaza.

"He was detained by the Egyptian regime while doing his studies there and was tortured and electrocuted for months.

"He came to the UK in 2014 where he claimed asylum and became a British citizen in 2020."

Dr Mehdi Veisi, who appeared for the defence, suggested this trauma had caused long-lasting PTSD that led him to fear an imminent risk to his family due to hypervigilance on the day of the attack."

Dr John Tulley, for the prosecution, disputed any PTSD would have played a part in the incident so long after leaving Gaza.

He pointed to the fact that Alfatih had never sought any psychiatric treatment since coming to the UK and he disputed he was suffering from PTSD at the time of the attack.

Although he accepted the death of his brother just before the attack would have been deeply distressing and could have affected his mental state.

Ms O’Raghallaigh argued that Mr Bucknall had refused to explain to Alfatih why he was there and had repeatedly pushed the defendant by the car before walking unannounced into the family home.

"I ask you to confront his reality on October 14 when Kevin Buckland walked into his house.

"It is the danger that Mr Alfatih perceived after experiencing relentless trauma throughout his life that caused him to act how he did.

"Did he genuinely believe that he and his family were in danger from Kevin Buckland?

Did he genuinely believe he needed to do something to stop him?"

But, Mr Brook said: "Was the defendant acting in reasonable self defence when he left his home armed with two large kitchen knives and half a brick?

"Or was the defendant a man who, to borrow neighbour Ryan Joy's words, by that stage of events was very angry?

"Was the defendant's anger the reason why he did not just stay in his home and lock the front door when Mr Bucknall left?"

The jury found him guilty by a 10-2 majority of all counts, apart from the wounding wounding with intent charge.

He will be sentenced on January 11. The extradition case is ongoing.