American federal attorneys have charged a Louisiana resident of participating in the October 7 attack by the militant faction on Israel, as per newly revealed court papers.
Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al-Muhtadi, 33, reportedly armed him and became part of a militia unit that fought alongside Hamas during the 2023 attack that killed over a thousand Israelis, triggering 24 months of conflict that killed thousands more.
Twelve months after the attack, he allegedly travelled to the United States on a fake visa and obtained status as a permanent resident.
The accused was charged with supplying, trying to provide or conspiring to provide material support to a designated terror group and the fraud and improper use of a visa or other documents.
Alleged Role with Armed Faction
Mr al-Muhtadi was reportedly an operative of the NRB, the armed branch of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, according to the legal filing filed by the FBI.
He is accused of coordinating a "unit of armed fighters" to cross into Israeli territory after hearing about the raid and asked one individual to "bring the rifles", legal papers show.
The suspect sent communications asking others to bring a protective gear for a different individual and ammunition, authorities claim.
A short time following the October 7 assault started, his phone pinged a cell tower near the kibbutz, the sight of a massacre, the documents said.
Legal Proceedings and Defense
The legal document said that Mr al-Muhtadi denied ever having been involved in terrorist activities on his American visa application.
Upon arriving to the US, he resided in a handful of locations before landing in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he was employed in a local restaurant.
He was arrested on the past Thursday, the DOJ said.
During a court appearance in LA on Friday, he was questioned if he understood the allegations facing him, an translator translated his answer as "yes, but there are a lot of things mentioned in this document that are so incorrect, I'm innocent", as reported by reports.
The documents do not accuse Mr al-Muhtadi of specific crimes or killings. Federal prosecutors have in the past indicted senior members of Hamas with the deaths of US citizens on October 7.