LONDON: The British government said on Friday it intends to ban the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas As a terrorist organization, it said it would no longer differentiate between the political and military wing of the group.
The military wing of Hamas has been outlawed in Britain since 2001, but the entire organization is not banned.
home Secretary Preeti Patel, which is in charge of law and order issues, said she would prosecute the group “as a whole, including its political wing”.
“This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community,” Patel said during a speech in Washington. “Hamas is fundamentally and staunchly anti-Semitic.”
Patel said the group had “significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weapons as well as terrorist training facilities.”
A ban, which must be approved by parliament, would make it illegal in the UK to be a member of Hamas or to express support for the group, including flying its flag or wearing a T-shirt to that end. The maximum punishment would be 14 years in prison.
The government said it expected the ban order to be approved by Parliament within weeks and would be effective from November 26.
Hamas, a Palestinian group that opposes IsraelThe U.S. has ruled the Gaza Strip since taking over the region in 2007, a year after winning the Palestinian election.
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the US and the European Union.
Israel welcomed the British declaration. Defense Minister Benny Gantz Said that it “sends a strong message of zero tolerance to terrorist activities aimed at harming the State of Israel and the Jewish communities.”
In Gaza, Hamas expressed “shock and dismay” at the British government’s decision and accused the UK of “continuing with its aggression against the Palestinian people”.
“The British government should have apologized for its historic sin against the Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement, referring to Britain’s support for a Jewish state.
“Now, the UK government is with the aggressor against the victim.”
The military wing of Hamas has been outlawed in Britain since 2001, but the entire organization is not banned.
home Secretary Preeti Patel, which is in charge of law and order issues, said she would prosecute the group “as a whole, including its political wing”.
“This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community,” Patel said during a speech in Washington. “Hamas is fundamentally and staunchly anti-Semitic.”
Patel said the group had “significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weapons as well as terrorist training facilities.”
A ban, which must be approved by parliament, would make it illegal in the UK to be a member of Hamas or to express support for the group, including flying its flag or wearing a T-shirt to that end. The maximum punishment would be 14 years in prison.
The government said it expected the ban order to be approved by Parliament within weeks and would be effective from November 26.
Hamas, a Palestinian group that opposes IsraelThe U.S. has ruled the Gaza Strip since taking over the region in 2007, a year after winning the Palestinian election.
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the US and the European Union.
Israel welcomed the British declaration. Defense Minister Benny Gantz Said that it “sends a strong message of zero tolerance to terrorist activities aimed at harming the State of Israel and the Jewish communities.”
In Gaza, Hamas expressed “shock and dismay” at the British government’s decision and accused the UK of “continuing with its aggression against the Palestinian people”.
“The British government should have apologized for its historic sin against the Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement, referring to Britain’s support for a Jewish state.
“Now, the UK government is with the aggressor against the victim.”
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