A trauma and orthopaedics doctor, already suspended from the NHS, has been detained by police on suspicion of expressing support for the proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas.
Fourth Arrest in Four Months
Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, 31, was arrested at her home in South Gloucestershire in the early hours of Thursday morning. This marks the fourth time she has been taken into police custody since October of last year. Officers from the Metropolitan Police and Avon and Somerset forces executed the arrest at her address shortly after 6am.
Police confirmed the arrest was made under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000, relating to online activity in November and December 2025 that allegedly expressed support for Hamas. Footage of the arrest shows Dr Aladwan reacting with shock as officers informed her of her detention.
A History of Controversial Posts
Just hours before her latest arrest, Dr Aladwan posted on social media platform X, referring to a female Palestinian suicide bomber and her son as 'martyrs'. She shared a photograph of Reem Al-Riyashi, the first female suicide bomber sent by Hamas, who killed four Israeli soldiers in 2004. In the post, Dr Aladwan noted that Al-Riyashi's son 'ascended as a martyr on October 7' – the date of the Hamas attacks on Israel.
This is not an isolated incident. In November, she was suspended from medical practice for 15 months by the General Medical Council (GMC) following a series of alleged anti-Semitic and pro-terrorism comments online. The GMC investigation into her fitness to practise is ongoing.
Her previous social media activity, which has sparked multiple controversies, includes:
- Describing Israelis as 'worse than Nazis' and discussing 'Jewish supremacy'.
- Labelling Britain's chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, 'Rabbi Genocide'.
- Claiming the media attention after the Manchester synagogue attack was 'Jewish supremacism'.
- Alleging that the Royal Free Hospital in London is a 'Jewish supremacy cesspit'.
- Describing two gunmen involved in a fatal Jerusalem shooting as 'Palestinian martyrs'.
- Referring to antisemitism and the Holocaust as 'concepts' used to promote victimhood.
Legal and Professional Consequences
Dr Aladwan's legal troubles began in October when she was first arrested for 'malicious communication times three and for inciting racial hatred'. Her strongly-held views, openly shared with her over 33,000 followers on X, have now led to a significant terrorism-related investigation.
Following the October 7 attacks and Israel's military response, her posts included imagery of masked militants and references to Hamas's military wing, the Al-Qassam brigade. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated the arrest specifically pertained to online posts 'allegedly expressing support for a proscribed organisation'.
The case highlights the serious professional and legal repercussions for public sector workers, particularly those in positions of trust like medicine, who express views deemed to support terrorism or incite racial hatred. Dr Aladwan remains suspended from NHS practice while both criminal and regulatory proceedings continue.
