The Greek authorities proceeded with the immediate revocation of the asylum status of a Palestinian national from Gaza, on the grounds that he constitutes a danger to national security, after the man was identified in a series of videos celebrating alongside terrorists during Hamas’s massacres in the Israeli kibbutzim on October 7, 2023.

The decision followed an initiative by the Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, and was taken in close cooperation with the European Jewish Association (EJA), the Belgian authorities, and the Israeli Embassy in Athens. Greek authorities identified incriminating photos and videos, as well as posts in which he praised the terrorist attack.

The individual is Mohanad Alkhatib, who had been granted international protection status in Greece in March 2025. However, after traveling to Belgium, he applied for asylum again, and the authorities there identified a large volume of video evidence against him in which he appears on the sidelines of the massacres that shocked the international community.

At the same time, in other images he appears posing next to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a few months before his elimination in Tehran in 2024.

Plevris’s intervention and revocation of asylum

The Belgian authorities refused to grant him asylum, characterizing him as a person dangerous to public order. The matter was immediately brought to the attention of Thanos Plevris through the European Jewish Association and the Israeli Ambassador to Athens, Noam Katz, who in his letter to the Greek minister stressed that “a person who participated in the events of October 7 cannot be considered eligible for refugee status.”

This was followed by immediate mobilization on the Greek side, with Mr. Plevris activating the competent services in close cooperation with Ruth Daskalopoulou-Isaac, Director of European Affairs of the European Jewish Association (of Greek origin from Thessaloniki), who served as a key channel of communication and documentation of the findings.

Ultimately, the Greek authorities identified and confirmed the incriminating material, which is presented by protothema.gr. Consequently, the decision to revoke asylum was taken, published this morning, and is based on the provision of paragraph 4 of Article 13 of Law 4939/2022, which stipulates that refugee status is revoked when a person “is reasonably considered to constitute a danger to national security.”

The video in question was uploaded from the TikTok profile AHMAD (+ Palestinian and Belgian flag) (@ahmad.edeli) on October 7, 2025, to honor and celebrate the massacre that took place two years earlier. The profile was subsequently deleted.

How he received asylum in Greece

Mohanad Alkhatib entered Greece via Kos on March 4, 2025, and underwent the required security checks by the Hellenic Police (screening, SIS II, Interpol). At that time, there was no registered incriminating information in any system. He was subsequently granted international protection status.

However, according to an informational memorandum submitted by the Jewish Association to the Greek authorities, Alkhatib continued from Europe to upload material glorifying Hamas, while praising Iran’s strike on the U.S. Al Udeid base in Doha in 2025, expressing the wish that “God guide the Iranian attack against the American base.”

Particular impression was caused by the fact that in his posts he referred to the journalist and well-known Hamas member Hassan Eslaieh as a “friend and companion from the beginning of the war.”

Snapshot with Hassan Eslaieh, a Hamas member who claimed to be a journalist, with Mohanad Alkhatib visible in the background during the hours of Hamas’s invasion of Israel:

Mohanad Alkhatib has repeatedly presented himself as a journalist and photographer. He appears countless times wearing a press vest and holding his camera in Gaza. However, he does not appear to have written for any newspaper.

Mohanad Alkhatib in journalistic attire:

Letters of thanks

The European Jewish Association, in a letter, expressed sincere thanks to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris, and the head of the Asylum Service, Mario Kaleas, for their immediate and decisive stance toward a person who threatens public order and the Jewish community.

The Association praised the fact that the Greek government demonstrated zero tolerance toward hate speech and the glorification of terrorism, ensuring that institutional protection mechanisms are not exploited by those who promote violence.

The legal framework of the revocation

The decision of the Asylum Service was based on legislation concerning international protection, specifically Articles 13 and 96 of Law 4939/2022. The procedure provides for the possibility of revocation when new evidence emerges that substantiates a threat to national security or the public interest.

In Alkhatib’s case, the total body of evidence was deemed sufficient to activate the revocation procedure, which was completed today, within days of the start of the investigation.