A Palestinian man who livestreamed his illegal arrival in the United Kingdom and was later linked to antisemitic online content was sentenced on Monday to nine months’ imprisonment, according to the Daily Mail.
Abu Wadee, also known as Mosab Abdulkarim al-Gassas, was among roughly 75 migrants packed into a small dinghy intercepted by the U.K. Border Force in the English Channel on March 6. After being brought ashore and housed in a Manchester asylum hotel, he was arrested three days later by Immigration Enforcement officers.
Wadee, 33, had initially attempted to avoid prosecution by arguing he was merely a passenger on the boat. But he dropped that appeal and pleaded guilty to attempting to enter the U.K. without permission, acknowledging he was stopped at sea rather than successfully landing undetected. He had previously claimed asylum in Greece, Germany and Belgium, according to Jewish News.
Judge Sarah Counsell cited Wadee’s decision to broadcast his journey live on TikTok as an aggravating factor. “You were travelling with a large group of other people seeking asylum in this country but travelling unlawfully,” she said. “Livestreaming … tends to aggravate the sentence.”
She emphasized public concern over illegal entries, saying such acts undermine border control and carry the risk of injury or death for those involved.
Wadee was sentenced to 12 months in prison, reduced to nine due to his early guilty plea. His case may trigger automatic deportation, but any removal decision will be made separately.
During his time in custody awaiting sentencing, Wadee was reportedly assaulted by fellow inmates, though details of the incident were not disclosed in court.
Wadee’s presence in the United Kingdom made national headlines after The Mail on Sunday reported on his extensive antisemitic and pro-Hamas social media activity. Wadee, from Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, allegedly posted content calling for the death of Jews and support for the terrorist group Hamas. One video from September 2023 reportedly shows him calling on Allah to “punish (Jews) completely,” while a 2021 Facebook image shows him holding a rifle.
Although he left the Strip in 2022, he labeled himself a member of the “tire-burning unit,” according to the Mail, which charred hundreds of acres of Israeli farmland close to the Gaza border.
Wadee has a large following online, with some TikTok videos garnering up to 2.5 million views.
Following the verdict, the Campaign Against Antisemitism welcomed the sentencing but urged authorities to clarify whether Wadee will be deported after serving his time.