Investigation reveals long history of alleged Hamas ties in Britain

A recent investigation by The Jerusalem Post has uncovered a decades-long history of individuals with alleged or documented connections to Hamas residing in the United Kingdom. The inquiry highlights several prominent figures who have held British citizenship or asylum status while maintaining ties to the organization. The findings come shortly after it was revealed that Mohammed Al-Fatah, a former bodyguard for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, was granted British asylum and citizenship.

Al-Fatah, who arrived in the UK in 2014 and became a citizen in 2020, was convicted at Birmingham Crown Court on November 13 for wounding an officer and causing criminal damage. At the time of the incident, he was under surveillance by a British counterterrorism unit and had previously been bailed on suspicion of supporting Hamas. He is also wanted in Germany for his role in a planned terrorist attack targeting Israelis and Jews in Europe.

Another significant figure identified is Muhammad Sawalha, a senior Hamas military official in the West Bank during the late 1980s. After fleeing to Jordan with forged documents in 1990, he moved to Britain where he has lived since. A 2004 US Department of Justice indictment named him as a co-conspirator in Hamas financing. Israeli intelligence reports indicate he served on Hamas’s Political Bureau between 2013 and 2017 while residing in London.

Sawalha has been active in British Muslim organizations and was declared an operative of an illegal association by Israel’s Defense Minister in 2013. A 2013 investigation by The Sunday Times revealed he had purchased a home in Colindale, north London, at a substantial discount from Barnet Council, despite campaign groups informing the council of his background.

Zaher Birawi, a resident of Barnet, is another designated Hamas-linked activist. He was named in Parliament in October 2023 and sanctioned by the US in January 2026 for his role in the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad. While Birawi has rejected claims that he is an operative, he has been designated by the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for supporting the organization.

The investigation also highlights Majed al-Zeer, a British-Jordanian citizen often referred to as Hamas’s official representative in Germany. He headed the London-based Palestinian Return Centre and was sanctioned by the US Treasury in October 2024. Al-Zeer has previously described the October 7 attack as self-defense and has been documented with former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Other individuals mentioned include Mosab al-Gassas, who pleaded guilty to entering the UK on a small boat in 2025 and is currently living in asylum accommodation in Corby. Additionally, Dr. Azzam al-Tamimi, a Palestinian-born academic, has acknowledged advising Hamas and maintaining close ties with its leadership, despite denying formal membership. He founded the London-based Al-Hiwar television channel and published a book on Hamas history in 2007.

The legal landscape in Britain has evolved regarding the group. In 2001, the UK proscribed only Hamas’s military wing. This was extended to the entire organization, including its political wing, in November 2021. However, official UK asylum guidance notes that membership in a terrorist group does not automatically exclude an individual from refugee status, a distinction that remains central to these cases.