Hamas Urges UK Government to Remove It from List of Banned Terrorist Organizations

Hamas has formally appealed to the United Kingdom to revoke its designation as a banned terrorist organization, calling the classification politically driven and unjust. The group, which governs the Gaza Strip, insists it is a legitimate resistance movement fighting for Palestinian rights in accordance with international law.

The UK originally listed Hamas as a terrorist group in 2001 under the Terrorism Act, with the ban extended in 2021 to include both its political and military wings. This move criminalized any form of support for Hamas within the country.

In its recent statement, Hamas accused Western nations of maintaining double standards in their foreign policy and called on the British government to reconsider its stance.

The UK Home Office has not yet responded publicly to the appeal. Any reversal of Hamas’s designation would require legal evaluation and political consensus, both of which appear unlikely in the current geopolitical climate.

As of now, Hamas remains a proscribed terrorist organization in the UK, and any support for it is punishable under British anti-terrorism laws.