FBI arrests 18-year-old student accused of planning attack on "Israeli" embassy

The FBI arrested an 18-year-old George Mason University (GMU) student, Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, accusing him of planning an attack on the "Israeli" consulate in New York.

The alleged plot, detailed in a criminal complaint filed on Monday, was reportedly developed with the assistance of an undercover informant.

Hassan, an Egyptian national and first-year student, faces charges of distributing information about explosives intended for use against internationally protected persons.

According to US officials, he is currently in deportation proceedings, though these are expected to be delayed until the criminal case concludes and any potential sentence is served.

Court documents reveal that an FBI confidential source contacted Hassan in August, working with him to devise the attack. The source was to carry out the act, while Hassan focused on planning.

An FBI affidavit also indicates that Hassan’s social media activity included posts praising groups like Daesh and Al-Qaeda. One post reportedly hinted at suicidal thoughts, stating, "I may end it all." Another questioned the US designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The affidavit notes that the FBI source asked Hassan to identify a target and provide a video tutorial for bomb-making. This information was allegedly used to support the charges against him.

Hassan’s arrest follows heightened tensions at GMU. Last month, the FBI raided the home of two students connected to protests against "Israel’s" actions in Gaza. The raid, which reportedly lacked a presented search warrant, was linked to anti-"Israel" graffiti on campus. The students and prominent members of the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapter were not arrested but received a four-year campus ban.

GMU President Gregory Washington stated that the FBI raid and Hassan’s arrest are unrelated. However, in response to both events, the university has increased its police presence and deployed a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team on campus.