JERUSALEM, Israel – The United Kingdom will designate Hamas as a terror organization on Friday, according to British media reports.
The UK currently considers Hamas’ military wing to be a terror group, but this new decision will brand the entire organization as a terror entity.
Speaking to reporters in Washington D.C. on Thursday, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel argued there was no distinction between Hamas’ political and military wings.
“We’ve taken the view that we can no longer disaggregate the sort of military and political side,” Patel said, according to The Guardian.
“It’s based upon a wide range of intelligence, information and also links to terrorism. The severity of that speaks for itself,”she added.
The decision to outlaw the group means that anyone who expresses support for Hamas, flies its flag, or holds a meeting for the group could face up to 10 years in prison. The terror destination also means its assets must be seized, members face imprisonment, and companies are banned from doing business with the group.
Patel told reporters that designating Hamas would send a “very, very strong message to any individual that thinks that it’s OK to be a supporter of an organization such as that.”
Patel will make the announcement in Washington on Friday and advance the designation through parliament next week. In her speech on Friday, Patel will describe Hamas as “fundamentally and rabidly anti-Semitic,” The Guardian reports.
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
“Anti-Semitism 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,” she is to say.
The move is intended to help combat anti-Semitism in the UK.
“This step will strengthen the case against anyone who waves a Hamas flag in the United Kingdom, an act that is bound to make Jewish people feel unsafe,” she will say. “This is an important step, especially for the Jewish community. If we tolerate extremism, it will erode the rock of security.”
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN
