Hamas in Britain: How alleged terror operatives made the UK their home - explainer

The Jerusalem Post investigated multiple individuals with alleged Hamas ties living in the UK, including Mohammed al-Fatah, former bodyguard of Ismail Haniyeh, who was granted British asylum and citizenship. The report details cases of Muhammad Qassem Sawalha, Zaher Birawi, Mosab Abdulkarim al-Gassas, and Majed Khalil Moussa al-Zeer, revealing a decades-long history of alleged Hamas activity in Britain.

The Jerusalem Post investigated multiple individuals with alleged or documented ties to Hamas who have made Britain their home, revealing a history of alleged Hamas activity in the UK stretching back decades. Mohammed al-Fatah, the former bodyguard of assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, was granted British asylum and citizenship. He was convicted in Birmingham Crown Court of wounding an enforcement officer and criminal damage, while a British counterterrorism unit was already surveilling him. Al-Fatah is also wanted in Germany for allegedly playing a central role in a foiled Hamas plot to attack Israelis and Jews in Europe. Muhammad Qassem Sawalha, named in a 2004 US indictment for Hamas financing and terrorist operations, lived in north London and served on Hamas's Political Bureau between 2013 and 2017. Zaher Birawi, sanctioned by the US Treasury in January 2026 for supporting Hamas, resides in north London and has rejected allegations of being a Hamas operative. Mosab Abdulkarim al-Gassas entered the UK on a migrant boat in 2025 and pleaded guilty to illegal entry. Majed Khalil Moussa al-Zeer is a British-Jordanian citizen described as Hamas's official representative in Germany. The article notes that the UK Home Office has struggled to deport some individuals due to asylum policies on returning people to active conflict zones.