The United Kingdom (UK) announced on Friday that it has banned the Gazan militant group Hamas and designated its political wing as a terror organisation. While the move was hailed by Israel, it sparked furious reactions among Palestinians, who called it an obstacle to a peace deal.
On Friday, British Home Secretary Priti Patel stated that she had “laid before Parliament an order to outlaw the militant Islamist terrorist movement Hamas in its entirety from the UK.” Noting that Hamas is responsible for “significant terrorist violence,” Patel added that “Hamas commits, participates, prepares for and promotes and encourages terrorism.”
Today I have taken action to proscribe Hamas in its entirety.
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) November 19, 2021
This government is committed to tackling extremism and terrorism wherever it occurs. pic.twitter.com/TQfPzomyIm
While Hamas’ military arm—Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades—was designated by the UK as a terrorist group back in 2001, its political arm that rules Gaza was not recognised as a terror organisation. However, the new move extends the designation to the entire organisation. A statement released by the British Home Office said that following a new assessment it has been concluded that Hamas “should be proscribed in its entirety.”
“Proscription makes it a criminal offence to be a member of, or invite support for the group, with those found guilty facing up to 14 years in prison,” the statement noted. “The proscription order laid before Parliament […] will now be debated and, subject to approval, will come into force on 26 November,” it added.
Additionally, Patel also called Hamas a “fundamentally and rabidly anti-Semitic” organisation. In this respect, she deemed the proscription necessary to protect the UK’s Jewish community, which has been facing a wave of racist attacks following the 11-day Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas in May. “Jewish people routinely feel unsafe. At school, in the streets, when they worship, in their homes, and online.” This move is meant to protect the Jewish community and make them feel safe, Patel added.
It was an honour to give a keynote speech on security at @Heritage in Washington DC earlier today.
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) November 19, 2021
Groups like Hamas threaten our freedoms with their anti-Semitism.
As Home Secretary I will not tolerate this evil.
🇬🇧🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/0zzGG9Fc3N
If approved by the Parliament, Hamas would be banned under the UK’s Terrorism Act. Furthermore, anyone who expresses support, meets with its members, or flies the organisation’s flag could face up to ten years in prison.
With the move, Hamas becomes one of the 78 terrorist groups proscribed in the UK, including Al Qaeda, Al Shabaab, and the Islamic State. Furthermore, the designation also brings the UK in line with the United States and the European Union’s stance on the Gazan militant group.
The UK’s move to designate Hamas’ political wing as a terror organisation was praised by Israel. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the move reflected a “welcome understanding” of how terrorism works and expressed hope that all of Europe will follow the UK’s example.
“There are no rockets and no terrorism without a political wrapper, without fundraising, without an incitement machine,” Bennett added. He also thanked his British counterpart Boris Johnson for this “important decision.”
However, the move was condemned by Hamas, who said the decision to designate it as a terror organisation reflects the UK’s support of “Israeli occupation.” A statement released by the group said, “Instead of apologizing to the Palestinian people for the Balfour Declaration or British imperialism, it aligns itself with the Israeli occupation.”
“Resisting occupation by any means is the right of any people under occupation,” the statement read, adding that “Israel is the one acting like a terror state, hurting and attacking Palestinians.” Moreover, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said that the UK’s decision is “meaningless” and will not impact its activities. “The legitimacy of Hamas stems from the Palestinian people and from forces that aspire to liberty and freedom across the world,” he noted.
The UK’s decision was also condemned by the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian embassy in the UK called the move “a retrograde step that will make peace-making harder and diminish the UK’s role.” The PA said that the UK has “complicated Palestinian unity efforts and undermined Palestinian democracy.” Furthermore, it opined that the move will “do nothing for efforts to secure a peaceful two-state outcome” and perpetuate “Israeli war crimes, including its illegal colonial settlement project in occupied territory.”
Hamas, a self-declared “Islamic resistance movement,” was founded in 1987 to wage an armed struggle against Israel to liberate Palestine. Following its victory in the 2006 Gaza parliamentary elections over rivals Fatah, Hamas seized complete control of Gaza in 2007 by ousting the Mahmoud Abbas-led Fatah party from the enclave after a short but violent civil war.
Before 2017, Hamas considered the Palestinian territories and Israel as part of a Palestinian state. The group accepted the pre-1967 borders for a future Palestinian state for the first time in 2017, marking a significant change in its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, it has not recognised Israel and calls it the “Zionist enemy.”