On Tuesday, an alleged ISIS supporter was arrested for planning a terrorist attack against the Israeli general consulate in New York.
Authorities in Falls Church, Virginia, have arrested 18-year-old Egyptian national Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan, a freshman at George Mason University, for planning to bomb the consulate. He faces 20 years in federal prison if convicted on charges of attempting to teach someone how to manufacture an explosive with intent to murder internationally protected persons. According to prosecutors, they may hit Hassan with more charges during the investigation.
The FBI has arrested an Egyptian national in Virginia, a George Mason University student. Abdullah Ezzeldin Taha Mohamed Hassan is accused of planning a mass casualty attack targeting the Israeli Consulate General with explosives and a rifle.
This is the same university that was… pic.twitter.com/L0QiQpUkV6
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) December 20, 2024
Hassan is also currently in deportation proceedings, though they will likely be put on hold until after his prison sentence concludes, if he is convicted.
According to court documents, he has been identified as an Islamic extremist who had operated numerous social media channels promoting pro-ISIS and Al Qaeda propaganda promoting violence against Jews. Hassan also called Osama bin Laden his “idol” and openly bragged about “praying for an ISIS” terrorist attack on sporting venues.
In 2022, Hassan was interviewed by the FBI for allegedly spreading ISIS propaganda online, but authorities learned that he was very capable of covering his digital tracks.
Hassan was caught after he recruited an undercover informant to join ISIS and commit a terrorist attack, including a mass shooting, a suicide vest, or a backpack bomb. He even reportedly sent the informant an ISIS video about manufacturing explosives to be used in a bomb.
“In it, a masked male in military-style clothing explains the process to make acetone peroxide, an explosive,” court documents state. “Throughout the video, an ISIS flag logo appears in the upper corner. The video is approximately fifteen minutes long and includes English subtitles.”
“The video shows how to make both a detonator and a main explosive,” the documents continue. “The speaker then shows how to surround the explosive with shrapnel, specifically, ball bearings. After assembly, the speaker says, ‘we now have a ready bomb.’”
According to prosecutors, Hassan’s target was Israel’s general consulate in New York City, which he claimed was “a goldmine of targets” — referring to the targets as “Yahud,” an Arabic word for Jews.
