US Case Against Louisiana Resident Relies on Anonymous Israeli Intel, Defense Says

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged a Louisiana man with participating in the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, but the case relies heavily on intelligence from Israel that the defendant’s legal team cannot access or verify.

Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, 33, a legal permanent resident of the United States, was arrested in October 2025 and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and visa fraud. Prosecutors allege he was a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), a small resistance group in Gaza, and that he encouraged others to join the October 7 assault by Hamas and allied factions. They claim he returned to Gaza after the attack, then applied for a U.S. visa in June 2024, falsely denying his ties to the DFLP. He entered the U.S. in September 2024.

Muhtadi has pleaded not guilty. His family denies the charges, calling them “fabricated” and “false.” On June 17, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment, removing the allegation that the conspiracy resulted in death and adding charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and making false statements on his visa application.

The bulk of the government’s evidence comes from Israeli sources. Court documents indicate Israel first notified U.S. authorities about Muhtadi and his alleged involvement. An Israeli cell phone provider reportedly tracked his device near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a site of the October 7 attacks, and Israel provided U.S. officials with records of phone calls it claims Muhtadi made that day.

To authenticate this evidence, prosecutors plan to call an Israeli agent identified only as “Avi,” described in court filings as a longtime employee of an Israeli security agency directing the Assessment Division of the Israeli Bureau of Counter-Terror Financing. His identity is classified under Israeli law, limiting the defense’s ability to cross-examine him.

The use of anonymous Israeli intelligence witnesses is not unprecedented in U.S. courts. In the Holy Land Foundation trials of 2007–2008, an Israeli agent known only as “Avi” testified against Palestinian American charity officials accused of supporting Hamas. Defense lawyers were unable to verify his credentials or challenge his claims, which included assertions based on vague observations such as “the smell of Hamas.” Despite initial acquittals in one trial, convictions were secured in a retrial, leading to lengthy prison sentences for several defendants.

Muhtadi’s lawyers argue that Israel’s control over access to Gaza and its pervasive surveillance make it nearly impossible to gather exculpatory evidence or interview potential witnesses. They note that even if investigators could enter Gaza, few would risk testifying given Israel’s extensive intelligence capabilities. The defense has also complained that key data, such as file metadata and images, remain in Israel’s possession, with U.S. prosecutors stating they do not have access to it.

Despite relying on Israeli assistance to identify and build the case against Muhtadi, prosecutors have claimed in court filings that they do not know what information Israeli agencies might share with the defense because “they do not work for or alongside us.” The government also intends to use classified evidence and invoke the Patriot Act, potentially limiting the defendant’s access to information used in his prosecution.