An accused Hamas-linked terrorist who allegedly participated in atrocities against Jewish people on the Sabbath during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel has been granted Muslim religious accommodations while jailed in Louisiana.
Mahmoud Amin Ya’Qub Al-Muhtadi, 33, requested a judge on Friday to order U.S. Marshals to accommodate his religious practices during his detention. Al-Muhtadi faces charges related to his alleged involvement in attacks on the kibbutz Kfar Aza, as well as for allegedly denying his involvement on a visa application before migrating to the United States.
During the Friday hearing, Al-Muhtadi’s lawyers asked Magistrate Judge David Ayo to require federal authorities to provide him with a halal diet, permit him to fast, and allow him to carry out daily prayers. Judge Ayo ordered, “The U.S. Marshals shall accommodate the defendant to the extent that they can reasonably do so.” He also instructed Al-Muhtadi’s attorneys to maintain communication with the U.S. Marshals regarding the feasibility of fulfilling the religious requests, adding, “The court will revisit when and as necessary should the need arise.”
Al-Muhtadi is scheduled to appear again in Lafayette federal court on Wednesday to discuss the terms of his detention.
According to a criminal complaint, Al-Muhtadi, who lived in Gaza at the time, was arrested last week for allegedly participating in the massacre of 60 people at Kfar Aza. The complaint also alleges that he enthusiastically told a comrade over a phone call before the attack that the October 7 offensive would trigger “a third world war.”
Al-Muhtadi reportedly led youths in the National Resistance Brigades (NRB), the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). Following a call to arms by Hamas commander Mohammed Deif on October 7, he began rallying a group of men to join him in an ambush on the nearby kibbutz, according to federal authorities.
The October 7 incursion, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 250 more, began around 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday when many Jewish people were still observing the Sabbath. At Kfar Aza alone, 60 people were killed and 19 were kidnapped by Hamas and other militants, including four Americans who were killed and one who was captured, the complaint states.
Prior to the attack, Al-Muhtadi allegedly instructed his men in a series of calls to bring rifles, ammunition, and bulletproof vests in preparation for the strike on Kfar Aza. Cellphone data reportedly placed him in the Kfar Aza area by 10:01 a.m. that same day.
In an earlier call at 8:42 a.m. with another individual, Al-Muhtadi was quoted saying, “There is lots [sic] of soldiers [Israel Defense Forces soldiers] that have been kidnapped … it’s a game, which will be a good one.” He added, “If things go the way they should, Syria will take part, Lebanon will take part … it’s going to be a third world war … it will be a war of attritions. That will be perfect,” according to the complaint.
Less than a year after the invasion, Al-Muhtadi applied for a U.S. visa, allegedly falsely claiming that he had never murdered anyone, never engaged in terrorism, and was not part of any terrorist organization.
He first moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 12, 2024, and was eventually located by U.S. authorities in Lafayette in June 2025.
Al-Muhtadi faces one count of fraud and misuse of a visa and one count of providing or attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted on the terrorism charge alone, he could face up to life in prison.
His arrest marks the first in the United States of an individual accused of involvement in the October 7 attack.
Last week, the remaining living hostages captured by Hamas were returned to Israel. Hamas has also been returning the remains of individuals who died in its captivity.
Al-Muhtadi’s lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/20/us-news/alleged-pro-hamas-oct-7-attacker-granted-religious-accommodations-while-jailed/