Greece revokes asylum from Palestinian who celebrated massacres in Israel with Hamas terrorists

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

This is Mohanad Alkhatib, who was granted international protection status in Greece in March 2025. However, upon moving to Belgium, he applied for asylum again and the authorities there found a large amount 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 footage he appears posing next to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, a few months before his neutralization in Tehran in 2024.

Greece revokes asylum from Palestinian who celebrated the massacres in Israel with Hamas terrorists - See video and photos

Intervention by Plevris and revocation of asylum

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

The Greek side immediately mobilized, with Mr. Plevris activating the competent services in direct collaboration with Ruth Daskalopoulou-Isaac, Director of European Affairs of the European Jewish Union (of Greek origin from Thessaloniki), who was a key channel of communication and documentation of the findings.

Ultimately, the Greek authorities identified and confirmed the incriminating material. Following this, the revocation decision 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 the person is "reasonably considered to constitute a risk to national security".

How he received asylum in Greece

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

However, according to the information memorandum submitted by the Jewish Union to the Greek authorities, Alkhatib continued to upload material praising Hamas from Europe, while praising Iran's strike against the American Al Udeid base in Doha in 2025, wishing "God to guide the Iranian attack on the American base".

A particular impression was caused by the fact that in his publications he described the journalist and well-known Hamas official, Hassan Eslaieh, as a "friend and comrade since the beginning of the war".

Mohanad Alkhatib has appeared on many occasions as a journalist and photographer. He poses countless times in his press jacket and camera in Gaza. However, he does not appear to have written for any newspaper.