LA Local Charged of Assisting Militant Group in October 7 Attack on Israel, US Authorities Allege
US prosecutors have charged a LA resident of participating in the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel, as per newly revealed court papers.
Mahmoud Amin Ya'qub al-Muhtadi, 33, allegedly armed himself and became part of a paramilitary unit that fought together with the organization in the 2023 incursion that killed 1,195 Israeli citizens, sparking 24 months of fighting that killed thousands more.
Twelve months following the attack, he supposedly travelled to the US on a fake visa and obtained status as a permanent resident.
The accused was indicted with supplying, trying to provide or conspiring to deliver assistance to a designated terror group and the deception and improper use of a travel document or other documents.
Reported Role with Armed Group
Mr al-Muhtadi was reportedly an member of the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the DFLP, according to the legal filing brought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He is charged of organizing a "group of armed fighters" to enter into Israel after learning about the raid and requested one individual to "bring the firearms", legal papers indicate.
Mr al-Muhtadi sent communications asking others to bring a protective gear for another man and ammunition, authorities claim.
Hours following the October 7 attack began, his phone pinged a cell tower near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, the sight of a massacre, the records said.
Judicial Process and Response
The legal document indicated that the accused denied ever having been involved in terrorist activities on his American visa application.
After arriving to the United States, he lived in a handful of places before settling in the Louisiana city, where he worked in a local eatery.
He was taken into custody on Thursday, the Justice Department said.
In a court appearance in LA on the following day, he was asked if he comprehended the allegations against him, an interpreter translated his response as "yes, but there are a lot of things mentioned here that are so incorrect, I'm innocent", as reported by sources.
The court filings do not charge the defendant of specific offenses or homicides. US prosecutors have previously charged high-ranking members of Hamas with the fatalities of US citizens on 7 October.
