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He was given refugee status, with it being public knowledge he had worked for terrorist leader Haniyeh, who had been apprehended in Egypt for operating an arms and gold smuggling tunnel into Gaza.

The Hamas bodyguard, after being given sanctuary, worked as an IT consultant in the suburbs of a large English city, operating under deep cover, the Times reports.

Changing his name more than once, the married father in his forties, was not thought to have been a significant person of interest within the British security services, despite making connections with Hamas operatives in Europe.

He faces extradition to Germany today, where he is accused of leading a plot to attack Jewish community centres, pro-Israel demonstrations and Israeli diplomats last October.

The terrorist planned the attack on the anniversity of the October 7 massacre.

Mossad and Germany’s security and intelligence services learnt of the plot, notifying the National Crime Agency who arrested the former bodyguard in central London last November.

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German authorities worked with counterparts in Austria, Denmark and the UK to detain seven suspects and recover a cache of weapons, including an AK47 assault rifle.

The former bodyguard is accused of transporting handguns and live ammunition to a storage facility in Vienna, the German indictment revealed.

It states he pre-recorded a video in which he appeared masked and armed in front of a Hamas flag, describing the planned attack as retribution on behand of the Ezzidine al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s military wing.

A law enforcement source described him as an “essential” figure in the plot.

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British police had foiled a separate, “fairly imminent” attack earlier this week, targeting Manchester’s Jewish community, following an assault at a synagogue last year that killed two men during Yom Kippur.

Despite significant international attention on the German case, considered one of the most serious terror plots uncovered in the country since the war, the bodyguard cannot be named.

His lawyer previously argued identifying him would prejudice separate criminal proceedings he faces in the UK, where he remains in custody.

A judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court initially granted him anonymity for 100 years, though the order was amended on Thursday after being challenged.

This means he can be named once the UK case concludes.

If convicted, the terrorist bodyguard would serve any custodial sentence in Britain before facing extradition to Germany, where he is charged with procuring weapons for Hamas.

It is understood he was part of Haniyeh’s security detail as early as 2006, when Hamas won Palestianian legislation elections

Following Hamas’s later takeover of Gaza after a civil war with rival faction Fatah, Haniyeh went on to lead the territory for a decade.

Between 2009 and 2012, the Hamas bodyguard is understood to have travelled repeatedly between Europe and Gaza via Egypt.

During this period, it is believed he was detained by Egyptian authorities in connection with a smuggling tunnel used to move weapons.

He is said to have left Gaza for the final time in 2012, arriving in Britain after a period in which his movements remain unclear.

Over the previous two decades, the UK had become a common destination for senior Hamas figures and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, from which the group originated.

The former bodyguard claimed asylum in 2015 and was granted indefinite leave to remain, during a period when the Home Office was led by Theresa May.

His most recent CV described him as an IT specialist with experience across tech, transport and food and drink companies, accompanied by a photo of him standing beside a UK peace memorial.

However, older images show him alongside Haniyeh during his time as Hamas leader, appearing to act as his bodyguard, including one image showing him escorting Haniyeh through a crowd of supporters raising Kalashnikovs.

In July 2024, Haniyeh, by then chairman of Hamas’s political bureau based in Qatar, was killed by Mossad while staying in Tehran, less than a year after the October 7 attacks that killed around 1,200 people.

The unnamed bodguard transported five pistols, ammunition, hats, neck warmers and gloves from Berlin to a rented storage unit in Vienna last July, having travelled to Germany from Istanbul, an indictment first obtained by German newspaper, Bild, revealed.

The following month, he is alleged to have received a further 100 rounds of ammunition, with a co-conspirator later obtaining a Yugoslav-made Kalashnikov variant, eight additional pistols and 600 rounds of ammunition.

The video in which he allegedly claimed responsibility for the planned attack was discovered during a police raid and appears to have been filmed in Vienna, referencing the October 7 anniversary as central to the plot’s timing.

It remains unclear whether he intended to take part directly in any attack in Berlin or Vienna.

Of the seven others arrested, two were German nationals, one Danish, one Bulgarian and three Lebanese.

The exact circumstances surrounding how the plot was uncovered remain unclear, though it has emerged that one co-conspirator was a German intelligence asset accused of withholding information about his role.

The Hamas bodyguard is understood to have used two rented properties within the same English city, registering companies at both addresses under his differing identities.

One of these companies remains active under his current legal name, while another, registered under his original name, was forcibly dissolved after failing to file accounts.

Germany’s chief federal prosecutor, Jens Rommel, warned: “Germany and other European countries are now increasingly being viewed as operational areas for possible attacks.”

“This becomes particularly evident in the case of Hamas. To prepare attacks in Europe, their foreign operatives, sympathisers, or individuals connected to organised crime acquire and smuggle weapons.”

“They often hold European citizenship or residence permits within the Schengen area, allowing them to move freely. They are highly mobile and extensively networked, and some possess significant financial resources.”

GB News has reached out to the National Crime Agency for comment.