Two Pittsburgh residents were arrested by the FBI and local police in connection with hate crimes and the vandalism of Jewish buildings in July.
One of the suspects, Mohamad Hamad, 23, who identified himself as a "Hamas operative," reportedly purchased explosives. Hamad, a U.S. and Lebanese citizen, was a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard stationed near Pittsburgh International Airport, according to a report in the New York Post. The second suspect, Talya Lubit, a Jewish woman, allegedly assisted Hamad in defacing Jewish buildings with pro-Hamas graffiti.
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Mohamad Hamad
(Photo: United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania)
Hamad is accused of vandalizing a Chabad synagogue and a Jewish community center in Pittsburgh, where messages such as "Jews for Palestine" and a red inverted triangle, associated with Hamas supporters, were spray-painted on the walls. Lubit, who referred to Jews as "enemies," reportedly supported a local county resolution condemning Israel and defended a Pittsburgh legislator who blamed Israel for Hamas' October 7 attack.
The FBI launched a criminal investigation on July 29 following reports of vandalism at the Chabad house and another Jewish community center. During the probe, search warrants were executed at the suspects' homes in August and September, uncovering text messages between Hamad and Lubit discussing their plans to target Jewish institutions.
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Chabad center defeced
(Photo: United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania)
Evidence found on Hamad's phone revealed that in the weeks leading up to the vandalism, he described himself as a "Hamas operative" and shared a photo of himself wearing a Hamas-branded headband. He also discussed bomb-making and shared a video of a test explosion.
Investigators found that he had purchased two pounds of Indian Black aluminum powder and two pounds of potassium perchlorate used to form explosives. Hamad reportedly planned an initial test explosion on July 6 as part of a larger plot to target Pittsburgh's Jewish community.
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Anti-Israel graffiti
(Photo: United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania)
Hamad also communicated with Lubit about the graffiti incident several days before the July 29 vandalism. Messages revealed that Lubit had grown increasingly hostile toward Jews, saying, “I can literally feel myself starting to see Jews as my enemies.” She also shared an image of an Israeli flag with a swastika in the middle, using the codename "Warsaw."
Both Hamad and Lubit have been linked to anti-Israel politics within the Democratic Party. Hamad donated to Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, while Lubit was part of a Jewish group defending a Pittsburgh lawmaker who called for a cease-fire following Hamas’ October 7 attack. Both suspects face hefty prison sentences.
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