Two Israel Security Agency officials and a possible Israeli military witness will be allowed to testify under pseudonyms in the federal case against Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al Muhtadi, a Gaza man accused of taking part in Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack, the Washington Examiner reports.
U.S. District Judge David Joseph ruled Nov. 5 that the Justice Department had shown "substantial and legitimate safety and classification interests" for the Israeli and FBI undercover witnesses to keep their identities secret. The government told the court that terrorist groups actively hunt for Israeli security personnel and their families. Joseph also turned down a defense request to dismiss the charges.
Al Muhtadi is charged with material support for Hamas, conspiracy, visa fraud and lying to U.S. officials. Prosecutors say he posed as a refugee to enter the United States through a Texas airport in September 2024. Israel alerted U.S. authorities to his alleged ties in May 2025, and an undercover FBI agent met him several times before his arrest in Louisiana in October 2025.
According to the Justice Department, al Muhtadi rounded up armed comrades to cross into Israel when he heard about the invasion, celebrated the massacre by phone that day, and was placed by cellphone data near a kibbutz where attackers killed children and burned homes. Prosecutors tie him to the National Resistance Brigades, a Hamas-aligned faction.
His lawyers argue the case's foreign evidence keeps him from mounting a fair defense. Trial is set for Jan. 25, 2027, and he faces up to life in prison if convicted on the terrorism counts.
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