Patel: Today I have taken action to proscribe Hamas in its entirety; The UK formally only recognized the military wing of the Iranian-funded proxy as a terror organization.
Now following suit with several other countries, the United Kingdom announced late this week that it would officially recognize Hamas as a terror organization. Hamas, which is based in Gaza, is one of many Iranian-sponsored terror proxies in the region that is responsible for frequent attacks on Israel.
Hamas consists of two separate wings – the military wing and the political wing. Prior to the UK’s decision to designate the entity as a whole as a terrorist organization, it had only viewed the military wing as such, dating back to 2001.
On Friday, British Home Secretary Priti Patel announced, “Today I have taken action to proscribe Hamas in its entirety. This government is committed to tackling extremism and terrorism wherever it occurs.” Additionally, the post read, “Hamas has significant terrorist capability, including access to extensive and sophisticated weaponry, as well as terrorist training facilities.”
Patel also added, “This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community. Hamas is fundamentally and rabidly antisemitic. Antisemitism is an enduring evil which I will never tolerate. Jewish people routinely feel unsafe – at school, in the streets, when they worship, in their homes, and online.”
The decision was praised by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who extended his thanks to UK leadership. The UK joins Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United States as countries that now view Hamas in its entirety as a terror entity.
