A Gazan man living in Louisiana has been arrested for his alleged participation in the horrific Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel last October, marking the first public step in bringing perpetrators to justice who targeted American citizens on that day.
Mahmoud Amin Ya’Qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, was taken into custody in Lafayette, Louisiana, where authorities say he had been hiding after fraudulently obtaining a U.S. visa. According to Justice Department officials, Al-Muhtadi is an operative of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s military wing and allegedly joined the October 7 attack that claimed approximately 1,200 lives, including 49 American citizens, and led to the abduction of 250 others.
“After hiding out in the United States, this monster has been found and charged with participating in the atrocities of October 7 — the single deadliest day for Jewish people since the Holocaust,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a statement released by the Department of Justice.
Active Participation in the Attack
Court documents paint a disturbing picture of Al-Muhtadi’s alleged actions. When the Hamas invasion began on October 7, 2023, he reportedly “sprang into action,” arming himself and recruiting others to join the assault. Phone records place him near Kibbutz Kfar Aza — site of one of the most devastating massacres that day, where at least four American citizens were killed.
“He armed himself, recruited additional marauders, and then entered Israel, where there is evidence placing him near one of the worst-hit Israeli communities,” explained Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, who described the suspect’s movements that day.
Following the attack, Al-Muhtadi allegedly lied on his U.S. visa application, concealing his affiliations with paramilitary groups, his military training, and his involvement in the terrorist assault. He entered the United States on September 12, 2024 — nearly a year after the attacks.
Joint Task Force Leads Investigation
How did authorities ultimately track down Al-Muhtadi? The arrest comes as a result of work by Joint Task Force October 7 (JTF 10-7), established by Attorney General Bondi in February 2025 specifically to investigate perpetrators of the Hamas attack.
The task force represents an unprecedented collaboration between American and Israeli authorities, including the Israeli Security Agency, Israel National Police, and various counterterrorism units. U.S. partners in the investigation include the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Louisiana State Police, and local law enforcement in Lafayette.
“Let this arrest serve as a reminder both that those who perpetrate acts of terrorism cannot evade justice by hiding in our communities and that state, local, and federal law enforcement are working tirelessly to bring these people to justice,” U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana noted in the announcement.
Broader Mission Against Terrorism
The arrest represents more than just one individual case. Officials describe it as part of a larger effort to dismantle support networks for terrorist organizations and combat antisemitism globally.
The October 7 attack remains one of the deadliest terrorist incidents targeting Jewish people in decades. Beyond the approximately 1,200 people killed, including dozens of Americans, Hamas militants abducted around 250 people, eight of whom were U.S. citizens.
Bondi emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment: “While nothing can fully heal the scars left by Hamas’s brutal attack, this Department’s Joint Task Force October 7 is dedicated to finding and prosecuting those responsible for that horrific day, including the murder of dozens of American citizens. We will continue to stand by Jewish Americans and Jewish people around the world against anti-Semitism and terrorism in all its forms.”
For the families of American victims, the arrest may offer a small measure of justice — even as they continue to grapple with losses that one official called “a day that lives in infamy for so many, Gentile and Jew alike.”
