Hamas-linked militant from October 7 attack granted Muslim religious accommodations in US jail, including halal diet and fasting

An accused Hamas-linked militant involved in the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel has been granted Muslim religious accommodations while held in a Louisiana jail, reports New York Post.

33-year-old Mahmoud Amin Ya’Qub Al-Muhtadi made a plea to federal judge on Friday. He asked the judge to let US Marshals allow him to follow his religious practices while he is in jail, where he faces charges for taking part in attacks at kibbutz Kfar Aza and lying on a US visa application.
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During the hearing, Al-Muhtadi’s lawyers requested a halal diet, permission to fast, and the ability to perform daily prayers. Magistrate Judge David Ayo ruled, “The US Marshalls shall accommodate the defendant to the extent that they can reasonably do so.” He added that the court would revisit the issue if necessary and instructed Al-Muhtadi’s lawyers to remain in contact with the US Marshals regarding the requests.

The accused lived in Gaza during the attack and is said to have been involved in the killing of 60 people at Kfar Aza, including four Americans, and the kidnapping of 19 others. A criminal complaint says he told a comrade beforehand that the attack could spark “a third world war.” Al-Muhtadi reportedly led youths in the National Resistance Brigades, a military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, after a call to arms by Hamas commander Mohammed Deif.

Cellphone records allegedly placed him at Kfar Aza by 10:01 am on October 7, 2023. In an 8:42 am call that day, he said, “There is lots [sic] of soldiers [Israel Defense Forces soldiers] that have been kidnapped … it’s a game, which will be a good one. 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.”

Less than a year after the attack, Al-Muhtadi applied for a US visa, allegedly lying about his involvement in terrorism, and moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 12, 2024. He was tracked down by US authorities in Lafayette in June 2025.

He is charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation and visa fraud, facing up to life in prison if convicted on the terrorism charge alone. His arrest is the first in the United States linked to the October 7 attacks.